The Centre has ordered a special drive to review all pending cases of sexual harassment in central government ministries and departments and take appropriate action in them by December 9, underscoring its zero-tolerance approach towards the offence.
News18 has a copy of a letter written by Indevar Pandey, secretary of the women and child development (WCD) ministry to all secretaries of various ministries, asking for the special drive. The WCD ministry last year told Parliament that it had received a total of 391 complaints of sexual harassment pertaining to various ministries, out of which 150 complaints had been received since January 1, 2020.
Pandey in his letter has now asked for all ministries to conduct a special drive to review the pending cases and appropriate action taken before December 9, 2022. “It would be appreciated if a report of this exercise held in your Ministry/Department and other organizations is provided to this Ministry by 20th December, 2022,” he has written. Ministries have now appointed nodal officers for this exercise.
The WCD secretary’s letter says that with improved access to education, skilling and employment opportunities, millions of Indian women are entering the country’s workforce. “It is crucial that as a country, we provide all women with safe and secure environment. It is the responsibility of every employer, whether in public or private and in organized or unorganized sector to ensure compliance of the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013,” the letter says.
It says employers are mandated to conduct sensitisation workshops for their employees periodically to make them aware of the provisions of the Act and the need for upholding the dignity of women and ending gender stereotypes so as to encourage more women to participate in economic activities. “This will contribute to realisation of gender quality and result in inclusive growth for the benefit of individuals, the family and a nation as a whole,” the letter says.
Recently, the case of senior IAS officer Jitendra Narayan has shocked the bureaucracy after he was suspended and later arrested by a special investigation team (SIT) in a gang-rape case while he was posted as chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. News18 had also reported of a separate sexual harassment complaint filed against Narayan under the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
‘Conduct Sensitisation Programmes’
The letter also asks for necessary instructions to be issued to all concerned in ministries, departments, as well as autonomous bodies and PSUs to ensure effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. “This includes conducting awareness and sensitization programme for the officials, giving wide publicity etc., about the provisions of the Act. lt is also requested to ensure that the lnternal Committees at all work places are constituted (if not already constituted) and are functional,” the secretary’s letter mentions.
The letter further reminds that November 25 is observed as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and December 10 is marked as International Human Rights Day. “The 16 day period between these days is observed by various institutions, civil society organizations, including the United Nations, for raising awareness about elimination of violence and discrimination against women so as to ensure safety, security and holistic human empowerment of women and to ensure that the basic human rights of women and girls are respected by all,” the secretary’s letter says.
SHe-Box Mechanism
The ministry of women and child development has developed an online complaint portal titled Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment of women in the workplace.
Once a complaint is registered in the SHe-Box, it directly reaches the concerned authority having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. The responsibility to take action on such complaints as well as to ensure updating of status in that regard on SHe-Box is with the concerned central ministries and departments.
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