SHe-Box portal recently launched

From Ministry of Women and Child Development Posted On: 29 November 2024 at 4:21 PM by PIB Delhi

The Act has enough provisions to deal with the matter

It is developed per the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013

The portal is designed to serve as a central repository for ICs and LCs at State/ UT administration-level workplaces as well as workplaces in private sector

New Delhi: 29th November 2024:(PIB Delhi//The Women Screen Desk)::

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” (SHe Act) to provide protection to women against sexual harassment at the 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 and whether in rural and urban areas. The Act casts a legal 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) wherever 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/herself. 

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. Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) being the Nodal Ministry, 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 employers and employees.

As per the provisions of the Act, the appropriate government has been mandated to maintain the data of number of complaints received and disposed of. Till recently, there was no central database for maintaining the data on number of ICs and LCs as well as number of complaints filed and disposed of. Hence, being the Nodal Ministry, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched SHe-Box recently. The complaint registration feature in the She-Box went live on October 19, 2024, after a majority of Central Ministries and Departments onboarded the portal. Since then, the portal has received 9 complaints. The portal has been designed to serve as a central repository for ICs and LCs at various State/ UT administration level workplaces as well as workplaces in private sector, once they on-board the portal.

The SHe-Box portal has been developed in accordance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the time prescribed for inquiry under the Act is 90 days.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur in Lok Sabha in reply to a question today.

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Union Minister Launches SHe-Box Portal

Posted On>Monday 02nd September 2024 at 12:06 PM //Ministry of Women and Child Development//PIB

Revolutionizing Workplace Safety for Women's Empowerment 

New Delhi: 02nd September 2024:(PIB//The Women Screen Desk)::

In a landmark move to enhance workplace safety for women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, led by Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi, launched the upgraded SHe-Box portal on August 29, 2024. This advanced platform is designed to centralize information about Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) across the nation while streamlining the registration and tracking of sexual harassment complaints in workplaces.

The revamped SHe-Box now allows women to submit complaints directly to the relevant IC or LC of their choice, significantly reducing delays and minimizing human intervention in the complaint resolution process. Once fully updated with information from all Ministries, Departments, States, UTs, and private sectors, the platform will operate at full capacity. The Ministry's current target is to onboard the details of nodal officers and ICs of all Central Ministries/Departments by October 2024. The event also saw the unveiling of the Ministry’s newly redesigned website, marking a new chapter in its digital outreach.

The She Box will prove as A Game-Changer in Workplace Harassment Prevention in very short period. The SHe-Box portal is a cornerstone in the government’s mission to eradicate workplace harassment. By serving as a centralized repository of IC and LC information across sectors, it offers women a unified platform to file complaints, track their progress, and ensure timely action by relevant authorities.

At the launch event, Smt. Annpurna Devi highlighted the portal's role in providing women a more efficient, transparent, and secure way to address harassment at work. “This initiative underscores our government’s commitment to building a safer, more inclusive workplace for women across India,” she stated. The Minister also assured that privacy and confidentiality remain a top priority, with strict safeguards to protect the personal information of complainants.

It is not a slogan only  it is also a target that the Empowering Women as India Marches Towards 2047. As India approaches its centenary in 2047, the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has placed women's empowerment at the center of its development agenda. 

Recognizing the critical role women play in driving economic growth, the focus remains on creating safe and enabling workplaces where women can flourish. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 has been a cornerstone of this effort.

The launch of the SHe-Box represents a significant leap forward in implementing the provisions of this Act. Beyond just complaint registration, it ensures active monitoring and accountability, laying the groundwork for a safer working environment for women across sectors.

Now this new invention is a New Digital Face for the Ministry too. It will improve the safety and confidence among women. Alongside the SHe-Box, the Ministry unveiled its newly designed website, crafted to enhance the government’s digital engagement. As digital platforms increasingly become the primary point of interaction for citizens, the new website aims to create a cohesive visual identity while improving accessibility and interaction with both national and global audiences.

Bridging Gaps Through Digital Innovation with very easy steps and system. The SHe-Box portal is a reflection of the government’s broader vision of harnessing digital innovation to empower women. By providing a seamless, single-window system for registering sexual harassment complaints, the portal makes the process easier and more accessible to all women, regardless of their work status or sector. Whether they are employed in the organized or unorganized sector, public or private institutions, or even domestic workers—SHe-Box is a tool for every woman.

In addition, the portal includes a repository of resources linked to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, such as handbooks, training modules, and advisory documents, all available in Hindi and English for free. The portal also offers educational videos aimed at spreading awareness of the Act’s provisions.

In an Concluding point of view the launch of the SHe-Box portal is a monumental step in the government's ongoing mission to create a safer, more equitable workplace for women in India. By integrating technology with legal frameworks, the portal provides women a reliable and secure platform to voice their grievances. 

Along with the new website, these initiatives are a testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment for women as India moves towards its centenary milestone in 2047.