Workplace safety key to boosting women's workforce participation: Union minister Annpurna Devi

New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) 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) began a two-day national awareness programme on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) at the Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital. Addressing the gathering, Devi said ensuring safe, dignified and inclusive workplaces is essential for realising the vision of 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 minister said the evolving nature of workplaces has introduced new challenges requiring continuous strengthening of institutional responses and stressed the need for fair inquiry procedures, protection of privacy and adherence to the principles of natural justice while ensuring timely disposal of complaints. She also highlighted the growing role of the 'SHe-Box' portal, saying it has emerged as an important digital platform for facilitating time-bound resolution of complaints and reflects the government's commitment to creating a robust institutional ecosystem for women's safety. Calling upon employers and institutional leadership to demonstrate greater accountability, Devi said every organisation must foster a workplace culture based on dignity, sensitivity and zero tolerance towards sexual harassment. The minister also released a booklet on inquiry procedures for Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs) under the POSH Act, prepared by the NCW. The booklet is intended to serve as a practical guide for conducting fair, transparent and time-bound inquiries under 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 have to choose between her livelihood and her safety," she said, adding that the objective of the law is to ensure fair and time-bound inquiries into complaints through internal committees in organisations and local committees in every district. Rahatkar said the awareness programme was the first step in a larger exercise, with a national consultation on Saturday set to prepare recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the POSH Act based on inputs gathered from 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. Talking about the Inquiry Procedure Booklet, the NCW chief highlighted that it is an important milestone in this campaign. "Its purpose is to ensure that when a committee receives its first complaint, there is no uncertainty about the procedure to be followed. Every inquiry should be fair, every decision should be time-bound, and every woman should have confidence in the justice delivery process," Rahatkar said. "I urge all members of internal committees and local committees to use this booklet and help make it even more effective through their feedback," she added. PTI KSH MPL MPL