Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur highlighted that the safety and security of women in the country is of utmost priority for the Government. In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday, the Minister of State mentioned that the government has enacted the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act to provide protection to women against sexual harassment at workplace and for the prevention and redressal of complaints related to it. Ms Thakur added that 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. It casts a legal obligation upon employers of all workplaces, public or private, to provide a safe and secure working environment free from sexual harassment.

She also underlined that SHe-Box portal has been developed in accordance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and the time prescribed for inquiry under the Act is 90 days. The portal is designed to serve as a central repository for Internal Committees and Local Committees at various State and Union Territories administration level workplaces as well as workplaces in the private sector, once they on-board the portal.