Ministers’ panel to recommend ways of combating sexual crimes at workplace

The GoM, chaired by home minister Rajnath Singh, will recommend action required for effective implementation of the existing provisions, as well as for strengthening the existing legal and institutional frameworks for addressing issues related to sexual harassment at workplace.

The GoM has been constituted in view of the felt need for broader consultation on this issue and for developing appropriate recommendations and laying down a comprehensive plan of action and for ensuring its time bound implementation.

Besides the chair Rajnath Singh, the GoM will have Nitin Gadkari, (minister of road transport and highways, water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, and ministry of shipping), Nirmala Sitharaman (minister of defence), Maneka Sanjay Gandhi (minister of women and child development) as its members.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act is the key legislation for preventing and protecting women against sexual harassment in the workplace and to ensure effective redressal of complaints of sexual harassment.

The ministry of women and child development has also launched an electronic complaints box that enables women, irrespective of their work status, to raise their voice against sexual harassment at workplace. Once a complaint is submitted to the ‘SHe-Box’, it is directly sent to the concerned authority having jurisdiction to take action into the matter.  A mechanism will be put in place to regularly monitor the action taken on the complaints.

The GoM will, within 3 months of its constitution, examine the existing provisions for the safety of women and recommend further measures required to strengthen and make them more effective.