SHe-Box Portal

Context-

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the SHe-Box portal.

About SHe-Box Portal

• The portal serves as a centralized platform for women to register complaints related to sexual harassment in their workplaces.
• It consolidates information about Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) established in both government and private sectors.
• The portal aims to streamline the complaint process, ensuring that cases are handled efficiently and effectively.
• It is an online system designed to help in better implementation of various provisions of ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act).

Key Features of the SHe-Box Portal:

• Nodal Officer: It provides for designating a nodal officer for every workplace who is required to ensure updation of data/ information on a regular basis for real time monitoring of complaints.
• Filing of  Complaint: A complaint on the portal can be filed by an aggrieved woman or any other person on behalf of the complainant. 
• Monitoring: It has a monitoring dashboard for Nodal Officers at the Centre / State/ UT level and District level, to see the number of cases filed, disposed and pending.
• Confidentiality: The portal is so designed that it masks the details of the complainant to maintain confidentiality.
  • Except the Chairperson of the IC/ LC, no other person is able to see the details or nature of the complaint registered.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013” (SH Act)

Significance of the SHe-Box Portal

• The portal is crucial for developing a safe working environment for women.
• It recognizes the barriers women face when reporting harassment and provides a more accessible and supportive framework.
• This initiative aligns with various international standards for women’s rights and workplace safety, such as the International Labour Organization’s conventions on violence and harassment in the world of work.

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013

• The Act covers all women in both organised and unorganised sectors, including domestic workers, students, and tourists. Offices, factories, hotels, and houses are all covered under the Act.
• Employers must establish an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) with at least one-half female members to handle complaints of sexual harassment.
• A Local Complaints Committee (LCC) is set up for workplaces with less than 10 employees.
• A woman can file a complaint within 3 months of the incident to the ICC or LCC.
• Employers are responsible for providing a safe work environment, displaying penalties for sexual harassment, and conducting awareness programs.
• The ICC or LCC must complete an inquiry within 90 days and provide recommendations to the employer or district officer, who must act within 60 days.
• The Act also includes penalties for false complaints and non-compliance with its provisions.

Challenges

• Lack of awareness: Many employees are unaware of their rights and the mechanisms available for redressal.
• Underreporting: There is still a degree of underreporting, primarily due to fear of retaliation or lack of trust in the system.
• Ineffective Implementation: In some organizations, the creation of the Internal Complaints Committees and their functioning is not up to the required standards.

Conclusion

• The SH Act, 2013 is a critical step toward creating a safer and more respectful work environment for women in India. 
• While the Act lays down comprehensive provisions to address sexual harassment, its successful implementation requires awareness, training, and commitment from employers and employees to ensure that workplaces are free from harassment.
• The SHe-Box portal represents a significant step forward in ensuring safer workplaces and providing aggrieved women with a reliable mechanism for addressing their grievances.

CBL Practice Questions for Prelims

Which of the following statements about the SHe-Box Portal is/are correct?

1. The SHe-Box Portal is a digital platform aimed at addressing complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace.
2. The portal is exclusively for complaints from women working in government sector organizations.
3. The portal allows women to file complaints that are directly sent to the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
4. The platform aims to provide women with a more accessible and transparent mechanism for addressing sexual harassment complaints.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

(A) 1 and 3 only
(B) 2 and 4 only
(C) 1, 3, and 4 only
(D) 1, 2, 3, and 4

Answer:- (C) 1, 3, and 4 only

CBL Mains Practice Question –

“The SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment Electronic Box) Portal is a significant step towards addressing sexual harassment at the workplace in India. Critically analyze its role in promoting gender justice and the challenges it faces in implementation.”

Chetan Bharat Learning is the best institute in Chandigarh for UPSC IAS ,PCS preparation. To know more about Chetan Bharat Learning’s Online & Classroom Courses, click on the following links: