Ensuring Safe Workplaces
On August 29, 2024 Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India launched an online complaint management system namely “She-Box”, (Sexual Harassment electronic-Box) portal for women facing sexual harassment at workplaces. It is a significant effort of Government of India providing a centralized platform of single window access to all women whether working in public sector, private sector, organized sector, unorganized sector and domestic workers enabling them to register their complaints related to sexual harassment, if any.
Any woman visiting central government offices, undertakings and institutions can also file a complaint concerned with workplace sexual harassment through the medium of SHe-Box. It works as a central hub and can prove substantially instrumental in deterring chances of sexual harassment. The portal facilitates access to information resources and online services from government sources from a single point. The procedural guidelines lay down that as soon as a complaint is lodged to SHe–Box, it is sent directly to the competent authorities concerned having jurisdictional powers to initiate action as warranted.
Every employer has to frame an Internal Complaints Committee in each head office and branch office having establishment of 10 or more employees. Besides, Local Committees are also required to be formed at district level in the States working under designated Nodal Officer enabling women to work fearlessly in small establishments sans any harassment. These Committees have been formed to streamline the registration and monitoring of complaints concerned with sexual harassment at workplaces.
The Committees are given the same powers as are vested in the civil courts under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 limited to summoning and gathering of evidence. A complainant can make a complaint of sexual harassment in writing to the Internal Complaints Committee within a period of three months from the date of incident or last incident in case of series of incidents. Continuous violations may invoke higher penalties and/or cancellation of registration or license of an entity. The portal has a mechanism for real time monitoring of complaints so that every complaint is watched, tracked and addressed quickly providing women with confident mode to have a timely resolution.
Its design provides for preserving the confidentiality of complainants ensuring that personal information is not leaked out to public which encourages more women to move forward and register their complaints without dangers or damages associated with retaliation or exposure.
In essence ‘SHe-Box’ portal is an updated version that has been established to augment the efforts of Government of India to improve the enforcement of the Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 POSH Act. The POSH Act, being unique in its coverage as it includes all women, was introduced to facilitate the creation of safe and secure workplace environment for women to work free from emotional or sexual harassment.
The provisions of the Act apply not only to women who are permanent employees but also to those who work on contractual basis and third parties as well who may happen to be present at a workplace. As per some previous information available big and economically forward states have reported higher incidences of sexual harassment cases as compared to smaller and economically weak states. It appears as if progress has provided a refuge or reason to the disturbed mindsets to accelerate their vent of evil moves towards women. Though various laws and Acts have been enacted by governments from time to time yet the menace of sexual violence has continued.
The culprits even though knowing end results of conviction still dare recidivism. It is like a disease which affects brain and behavior. Albeit behavioral aspect which reflects in an outward physical or verbal action has been/is being addressed, mindset which is an internal activity supplying substantial turbulent reflections to materialize has been/is being ignored or not heeded duly. Laws and fines are like trapping a thief or criminal and punishing him whereas changing mindset is uprooting the inclination to kleptomania and criminality.
In combating violations against women our print, electronic, digital and entertainment media have their due responsibility to discharge and vital role to play while displaying the content in such a way as to douse the tendencies to sexual harassment. No society can flourish peacefully even under the protective cover of stringent laws unless and until people are fully educated to desist voluntarily from the acts of impropriety and be free from clutches of shamefully ruthless activities like teasing of women who as per a world survey do more work than men.
Curative measures like SHe-Box having their importance honoured and accepted, preventive measure too need due attention. When teaching biomedical sciences, biological sciences, medical sciences etc., are prioritised in a curriculum to facilitate living a healthy life, why moral and ethical sciences are not taught for enjoying a safe, secure and serene life. Unless the cause is struck by the golden axe of moral education as a common and continuous feature of curriculum in all teaching institutions across the country, satisfactory results expected of SHe-Box like portals will remain a distant dream. Key lies in education to create a strong base of moral canvas to see women work and walk confidently and with dignity everywhere.
The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer and Consultant in the A.G’s Office Srinagar.
