Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi will spearhead talks on establishing secure and respectful workplaces free from harassment for women in various sectors at a national conference starting in New Delhi on Saturday. The conference, named ‘National Conference on Safety of Women at Workplace (SHe-Box),’ will witness Minister Annpurna Devi overseeing the administration of a National Workplace Safety Pledge, as per an official statement. An international roundtable involving UN agencies and multilateral institutions will also take place to discuss global best practices in workplace safety, with the participation of over 1,500 individuals from more than 100 government and private organizations.
On the eve of the conference, Minister Annpurna Devi emphasized the benefits of the SHe-Box portal, introduced in 2024, for lodging online and confidential complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). Through a social media post, Annpurna Devi stated, “The SHe-Box offers a empowering platform for women to securely, confidentially, and confidently report instances of sexual harassment at work.” She further added, “Safety at the workplace is not a privilege but the right of every woman. Let us collaborate with policymakers, leaders, and change-makers to engage in the National Conference on Safety of Women at Workplace (SHe-Box) and take a firm step towards fostering a safe and dignified work environment.”
The Ministry highlighted that the conference aims to reiterate the government’s dedication to ensuring the establishment of safe, dignified, and harassment-free workplaces for all women across sectors and to reinforce the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013. The discussions will focus on cultivating a positive workplace ethos by promoting awareness of POSH rights, enhancing compliance, increasing SHe-Box adoption, and bolstering India’s leadership in advancing secure and dignified workplaces, as per the statement.
The conference agenda includes an opening plenary, national and international roundtables, the unveiling of the SHe-Box logo, a nationwide POSH training video, IEC materials, and access to POSH training on Karmayogi Bharat for citizens. Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on August 29, 2024, the SHe-Box portal serves as a secure, user-friendly, and multilingual single-window platform ensuring strict confidentiality. It enables online complaint filing, automatic forwarding to the relevant Internal or Local Committee, and real-time tracking to boost transparency and accountability in supporting stakeholders for the effective execution of the POSH Act.
Attendees at the conference will include Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, senior officials from Central Ministries and Departments, representatives from States and UTs, Internal Committee and Local Committee chairpersons and members, nodal officers, international organization representatives, industry leaders, and civil society representatives.
