Lok Sabha Question No. 1634 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-16
Subject: Women Security in Unorganised Sector
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Vijay Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1634

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2022

## WOMEN SECURITY IN UNORGANISED SECTOR

†1634. SHRI VIJAY KUMAR:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering to make Anganwadi and Supplementary Nutrition Programme mandatory services;
- (b)       if so, the details thereof;
- (c)       whether the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and  Redressal)  Act,  2013  provides  security  to  women  working  in  unorganized sector; and
- (d)      if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)   &   (b)  Anganwadi  Services  (including  Supplementary  Nutrition  Programme)  is  a universal self-selecting scheme implemented by States/UTs across the country, whose benefits can be availed by the eligible registered beneficiaries (children upto the age of 6  years  and  pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers)  through  the  nearby  Anganwadi Centres.

(c)  &  (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/ Sector-wise/Services-wise details of number of cases of sexual harassment filed and resolved is not maintained centrally.

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