Lok Sabha Question No. 662 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Exploitation of Women at Workplace
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dharmendra Kumar Kashyap

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 662

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2022

## EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE

## 662.    SHRI DHARMENDRA KASHYAP:

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

- (a) whether  the  number  of  incidents  of  exploitation  of  women  at  workplace  has increased during the year 2021-22;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the concrete steps taken by the Government in this sensitive matter during the said period to restore the faith and dignity of women?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): 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 State of the appropriate Government to 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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