Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Friday said strengthening workplace safety is fundamental to increasing women's participation in the workforce and achieving inclusive national development, as she stressed the need for safe, dignified and inclusive workplaces.
The remarks came as the National Commission for Women (NCW) kicked off a two-day national awareness program on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital.
In his address, Devi emphasized that provision of safe, dignified and inclusive workplaces is vital for achieving the vision of a women-led development.
"Every woman has the right to work with dignity and without fear, and creating a safe work environment is a shared responsibility of governments, employers and institutions," she said.
"Strengthening workplace safety is fundamental to increasing women's participation in the workforce and achieving inclusive national development," she said.
The changing nature of workplaces had brought in new challenges and the need to keep strengthening institutional responses, the minister said, adding that fair inquiry procedures, protection of privacy, and observance of the basic principles of natural justice must be ensured and complaints disposed of in a timely manner.
Key Highlights:
- Safe workplaces key to women's workforce participation
- NCW launches nationwide POSH awareness drive
- POSH Act implementation to be strengthened
She also mentioned that the 'SHe-Box' portal has become a valuable digital tool in the time-bound resolution of complaints and an indicator of the government's efforts to establish a strong institutional framework for women's safety.
Employers and institutional leaders need to be more accountable, Devi said, and every organisation needs to have a culture of dignity, sensitivity and zero tolerance of sexual harassment.
The minister also published a booklet on how to conduct an inquiry within an Internal Committee (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) under the POSH Act, which was prepared by the NCW. The booklet has been designed to be used as a useful guide to the process of a fair, transparent and time limited enquiry in relation to the POSH Act.
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar noted that the POSH Act is "not merely a law to prevent sexual harassment" but "a powerful mechanism to safeguard women's dignity, ensure equal opportunity and guarantee their right to a safe workplace."
No woman should ever be forced to weigh her livelihood versus her safety, she said, and that the purpose of the law is to have inquiries into complaints made in organisations conducted fairly and in a timely manner through internal committees and local committees in each of the districts.
The awareness programme was a first step in a bigger exercise, Rahatkar said, adding that a national consultation would be held on Saturday to draw out recommendations for revamping the implementation of the POSH Act based on the inputs received from all across the country.
"While today is focused on expanding awareness, tomorrow's consultation will draw on suggestions and experiences from across the country to prepare concrete recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the POSH Act," she said.
Rahatkar said over the past three years, the NCW has taken POSH awareness forward as a nationwide campaign.
"Since 2023, it has organised 40 awareness workshops across the country, with nearly 5,700 participants. Since May 2025, around 1,900 members of internal committees and local committees from 126 districts have received specialised training. From Leh to Itanagar, Mizoram to Punjab, and from the Supreme Court to private organisations, this campaign has steadily expanded. These are not just numbers; they reflect a changing workplace culture and growing confidence in the system," she said.
Referring to changing workplace dynamics, she said digital workplaces, hybrid work, remote work and artificial intelligence have created new challenges, making it necessary for institutions and implementation mechanisms to evolve continuously.
"Safe workplaces are built not only through legislation, but also through awareness, sensitivity and a shared sense of responsibility," Rahatkar said.
The NCW chief underscored that this is an important step in this campaign when discussing the Inquiry Procedure Booklet.
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