E-portal for women employees to file complaints against sexual harassment

Central government launches an e-platform where women employees can file sexual harassment related complaints, seems like now government shall take the issue of women security seriously. The platform shall be launched by the end of this month.

The decision was taken by the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry last October after the minister received complaints from women employees from various ministries.

"We have worked vigorously in the last two-three years in this area. We are going to launch an online platform where women can file sexual harassment-related complaints," WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop here.

"We have just been waiting for the NIC (National Information Centre) to establish it. It (platform) should be here this month," Gandhi, who was addressing heads of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) of various ministries and departments, added.

This shall be hosted on the WCD ministry's website.

Also Read: Nirbhaya Fund: WCD Ministry replaces MHA as nodal agency

"We hope our ICCs work in such a way that hopefully, we wont have the need for using such a platform to seek redressal. Also, we have had an e-box facility for the last one year for children to file complaints anonymously. We have received hundreds of cases through that and we have taken it up," Gandhi said.

She also stated problems regarding common bathrooms for males and females. When asked her to elaborate, she said "What I meant was that ICCs should also look at workplace management so it becomes a happier place for women. Sometimes, women do not want to go to a bathroom used by men. The ICC should extend its mandate to want better facilities for women, which will eventually cut down on feeling of unhappiness experienced by women."

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 mandates that all workplaces with more than 10 workers constitute an internal complaints committee for receiving complaints of sexual harassment.

(With inputs from PTI)