According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, till date 107 complaints have been received on SHe-box.
What is SHe-box?
- Ministry of WCD has issued advisories to all States/UTs to ensure effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.
- In order to ensure the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the Ministry had launched an online complaint management system titled ‘Sexual Harassment electronic –Box’ (SHe-Box) on 24 July 2017 for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace of all women employees in the country, including government and private employees.
- This system is hosted on the website of the Women and Child Development Ministry.
About the act
- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 3 September 2012 and by the Rajya Sabha on 26 February 2013.The Bill got the President assent on 23 April 2013 and came into force from 9 December 2013.
- The act was enacted in view of the guidelines issued by the Honorable Supreme Court of India in ‘Vishaka & Ors vs State Of Rajasthan & Ors’ case on 13 August, 1997.
- The act mandates all the workplace which include any department, organisation, undertaking, establishment, enterprise, institution, office, branch or unit which is established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government or the local authority or a Government company or a corporation or a co-operative society having more than 10 workers to constitute Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) for receiving complaints of sexual harassment.
- The Act cast an obligation upon all the employers to constitute Internal Complaint Committee.
- Section 23 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 casts responsibility on the appropriate Government to monitor the implementation of this Act.
- Apart from the above, the Ministry has empanelled Institutes/Organizations for imparting training programmes/workshops in different parts of the country under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
What is Sexual Harassment?
- Honorable Supreme Court of India has defined the term ‘Sexual Harassment’ in Vishaka case. According to the Apex court, ‘sexual harassment includes such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour (whether directly or by implication) as:
- a) physical contact and advances;
- b) a demand or request for sexual favours;
- c) sexually coloured remarks;
- d) showing pornography;
- e) any other unwelcome physical verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.
- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 has adopted the same definition as given by the Supreme Court.
