Lok Sabha Question No. 642 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shyam Yadav Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 642

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2022

## SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE

642.    SHRI SHYAM SINGH YADAV:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to strictly ensure training and sensitization of employees under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act;
- (b) whether  the  Government  maintains  data  on  the  number  of  cases  of  sexual harassment reported in public sector undertakings;
- (c) if so, the details of the number of cases of sexual harassment reported in public sector undertakings during the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to address issues of sexual harassment of women at workplace in public sector undertakings?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (d):   Safety  and  security  of  women  in  the  country  is  of  utmost  priority  for  the Government. Keeping this in view, the Government has enacted 'the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013' (SH  Act)  which  aims  to  provide  protection  to  women  against  sexual  harassment  at workplace  and  for  the  prevention  and  redressal  of  complaints  related  to  it.  The  Act covers  all  women,  irrespective  of  their  age,  employment  status  or  nature  of  work whether working in public or private, organised or unorganised sector. The Act casts an obligation  upon  employers  of  all  workplaces,  public  or  private,  to  provide  a  safe  and secure working environment free from sexual harassment, whereby every employer is mandated to  constitute  an  Internal  Committee  (IC)  where  the  number  of  employees/ workers  is  more  than  10.  Similarly,  the  Appropriate  Government  is  authorized  to constitute Local Committee (LC) in every district to receive complaints from organizations having less than ten workers or if the complaint is against the employer himself.  The  Act  has  enough  provisions  to  deal  with  various  aspects  of  the  matter including penal provisions for those who violate the provisions of the Act including for the employers.

The  Act  casts  an  obligation  on  the  employers  to  organize  workshops  and awareness  programs  at  regular  intervals  for  sensitizing  the  employees  with  the provisions of the  Act  and  orientation  programmes  for  members  of  the  Internal committee.  In  addition,  being  the  Nodal  Ministry,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development  (MWCD)  issues  advisories  to  all  Central  Ministries  /Departments  and State Governments/ Union Territory (UT) Administrations from time to time for effective implementation of the Act and to organize workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals for sensitizing the employees.

The  responsibility  of  the  implementation  of  the  Act  at  District  and  State  levels rests with the respective State Government\ UT Administrations, which also monitor the implementation of the Act and maintain data on the number of cases filed and disposed of  in  respect  of  all  cases  of  sexual  harassment  at  workplace,  which  are  established, owned,  controlled  or  wholly  or  substantially  financed  by  funds  provided  directly  or indirectly by the State. The State/ UT/ district-wise details of number of cases of sexual harassment filed and resolved is not maintained centrally.

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