Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi will spearhead discussions on ensuring safe and harassment-free workplaces for women 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 administering a National Workplace Safety Pledge. Additionally, an international roundtable involving UN agencies and multilateral institutions will convene to discuss global best practices in workplace safety, with over 1,500 participants from various government and private organizations expected to attend.
On the eve of the conference, Minister Annpurna Devi emphasized the benefits of the SHe-Box portal, launched in 2024, which allows online registration of confidential complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). Through a social media message, Annpurna Devi highlighted the empowering aspect of the SHe-Box, providing women a secure and confidential platform to report workplace sexual harassment. She stressed that workplace safety is a fundamental right for every woman and called for collective action with policymakers and leaders to ensure a safe and dignified work environment.
The Ministry’s objective behind the conference is to reiterate the government’s dedication to establishing safe, dignified, and harassment-free workplaces for women in all sectors, aiming to bolster the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013. The discussions at the conference will focus on fostering a positive workplace culture by promoting awareness of POSH rights, improving compliance, increasing SHe-Box adoption, and reinforcing India’s leadership in advancing safe and dignified workplaces, as per the official statement.
The conference agenda includes various sessions such as an opening plenary, national and international roundtables, the unveiling of the SHe-Box logo, the release of a nationwide POSH training video, distribution of IEC materials, and access to POSH training via Karmayogi Bharat for citizens. The Ministry launched the SHe-Box portal on August 29, 2024, as a secure and user-friendly platform supporting online complaint filing, automatic forwarding to relevant committees, and real-time tracking to enhance transparency and accountability in implementing the POSH Act. The portal also acts as a resource center for workplaces to upload compliance-related data, including committee information, annual reports, and awareness and training initiatives.
Key attendees at the conference will include Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, senior officials from Central Ministries, State and UT governments, Internal and Local Committee members, nodal officers, representatives from international organizations, industry leaders, and civil society representatives.
