Lok Sabha Question No. 1925 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jual Oram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.1925 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021

## SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013

## 1925.  SHRI JUAL ORAM

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

- (a) the  status  of  implementation  of  the  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013;
- (b) the details of States where this Act has not been fully implemented as yet; and
- (c) the steps taken/ proposed to be taken to ensure that such States implement this Act immediately?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):  The  Government  has  enacted  'The  Sexual  Harassment  of Women  at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013' (SH Act) with the aim to provide safe and secure work environment to women irrespective of their work status.

The Act casts an obligation upon every employer of a workplace to provide a safe and secure working environment free from sexual harassment by constituting Internal Committee (IC)  for  receiving  complaints  of  sexual  harassment  at  workplace  and  by  displaying  at conspicuous  places  penal  consequences  of  sexual  harassment  and  order  constituting  IC. Similarly, the State Governments are authorised to constitute Local Committees (LCs) in every district  to  receive  complaints  from  organizations  having  less  than  10  workers  or  if  the complaint is against employer himself.

The Act entrust the Appropriate Government (that is in relation to a workplace which is established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by Central Government or Union Territory Administration, the Central Government or by  the  State  Government,  the  State  Government)  with  the  responsibility  of  monitoring implementation of the Act.

The  responsibility  to 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 at District and State levels rests with the concerned State Governments.

To  ensure  effective  implementation  of  the  Act,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development has developed a handbook and a training module around the provisions of the Act. In addition, Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued advisories, from time to time, to all State Governments/ UT Administrations, Ministries/ Departments of the Central Government and business associations/ chambers to ensure effective implementation of the Act.   In  addition,  Ministry  has  conducted  a  number  of  video  conferences  requesting  State Governments to establish and build capacity of LCs in each district of the country.

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