Lok Sabha Question No. 3299 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-17
Subject: Complaints under SHe-Box
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Raja Amareshwara Naik, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Sukanta Majumdar, Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 3299

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2021

## COMPLAINTS UNDER SHE-BOX

3299.  SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  an  online  complaint  management system  named  Sexual  Harassment  electronic-Box  (SHe-Box)  for  registering complaints related to sexual harassment of women at the workplace;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  of  complaints  registered/  disposed  off  and  those  referred  to complaints committees through SHe-Box mechanism since its inception, state/ UT- wise;
- (c) whether as a result thereof, the number of reported cases of sexual harassment has increased and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it has helped the Government in improving the participation of women in the workforce, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the private sector has also been covered under this provision and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):   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 for all women, irrespective of their age,  employment  status  or  nature  of  work  whether  working  in  public  or  private, organized or unorganized sector.. The Act entrusts respective 'appropriate Governments' with the responsibility of monitoring implementation of the Act as well as for maintaining data on the number of cases filed and disposed of in respect of all cases of  sexual  harassment  of  women  at  workplace.  As  per  the  Act,  the  Appropriate Government in relation to those workplaces which are established, owned, controlled or wholly  or  substantially  financed  by  funds  provided  directly  or  indirectly  by  the  Central Government or a Union Territory Administration, is Central Government and in relation to workplaces which are established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by  funds  provided  directly  or  indirectly  by  any  State  Government,  the  appropriate Government is that State Government. Further, in relation to any other workplace falling within its territory, the appropriate Government is also that State Government.

However, to facilitate lodging of complaints under the Act, the Ministry of Women and Child  Development  (MWCD)  has  developed  an  online  complaint  portal  titled  Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) to facilitate the registration of complaints related to  sexual  harassment  of  women  at  work  place.  Once  a  complaint  is  registered  in  the SHe-Box, it directly reaches the concerned authorities having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. The responsibility to take action on such complaints as well as to ensure updating of status in that regard on SHe Box, is with the concerned authorities.  State/ UT-wise  details  of  number  of  sexual  harassment  complaints  received  in  respect  of workplaces in Private sector / State Government / UT Administrations on SHe-Box since its inception is at Annexure.

MWCD has issued advisories to States/ UTs and the Central Ministries/ Departments from time to time for strict implementation of the Act so as to create  women friendly work environment

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## Annexure

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  THE  LOK  SABHA  UN-STARRED QUESTION  NO.  3299  FOR  ANSWER  ON  17.12.2021  ASKED  BY  SHRI  RAJA AMARESHWARA  NAIK,  SHRIMATI  MANEKA  SANJAY  GANDHI,  DR.  SUKANTA MAJUMDAR, SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL, SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR AND SHRI BHOLA SINGH REGARDING 'COMPLAINTS UNDER SHE-BOX'

State/UT-wise number of complaints relating to private sector/ State Governments/  UT  Administrations  registered  over  SHe-Box  and  recorded  as disposed  by  the  concerned  authorities  in  respective  State  Governments/  UT Administrations since inception of SHe-Box:

| State                                    |   Numbers of complaints relating to private sector/ State Governments/ UT Administrations registered over SHe-Box |   Numbers of these complaints recorded as disposed by the concerned authorities in States/ UTs over SHe-Box |
|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands                |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Andhra Pradesh                           |                                                                                                                23 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                        |                                                                                                                 2 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Assam                                    |                                                                                                                 4 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Bihar                                    |                                                                                                                22 |                                                                                                          15 |
| Chandigarh                               |                                                                                                                 4 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Chhattisgarh                             |                                                                                                                10 |                                                                                                           3 |
| Dadra & Naga Haveli & Daman & Diu        |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Delhi                                    |                                                                                                                62 |                                                                                                          21 |
| Goa                                      |                                                                                                                 1 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Gujarat                                  |                                                                                                                30 |                                                                                                          18 |
| Haryana                                  |                                                                                                                50 |                                                                                                          20 |
| Himachal Pradesh                         |                                                                                                                 5 |                                                                                                           4 |
| Jammu & Kashmir (including UT of Ladakh) |                                                                                                                 8 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Jharkhand                                |                                                                                                                 3 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Karnataka                                |                                                                                                                56 |                                                                                                          50 |
| Kerala                                   |                                                                                                                13 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Lakshdweep                               |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Madhya Pradesh                           |                                                                                                                38 |                                                                                                          11 |
| Maharashtra                              |                                                                                                               102 |                                                                                                          22 |
| Manipur                                  |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Meghalaya                                |                                                                                                                 1 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Mizoram                                  |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Nagaland                                 |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Odisha                                   |                                                                                                                 5 |                                                                                                           2 |
| Puducherry                               |                                                                                                                 4 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Punjab                                   |                                                                                                                15 |                                                                                                           5 |
| Rajasthan                                |                                                                                                                40 |                                                                                                          29 |
| Sikkim                                   |                                                                                                                 0 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Tamil Nadu                               |                                                                                                                67 |                                                                                                          42 |
| Telangana                                |                                                                                                                24 |                                                                                                           8 |
| Tripura                                  |                                                                                                                 1 |                                                                                                           0 |
| Uttar Pradesh                            |                                                                                                                92 |                                                                                                          74 |
| Uttarakhand                              |                                                                                                                 7 |                                                                                                           6 |
| West Bengal                              |                                                                                                                19 |                                                                                                           0 |