Quicksplained: What's the She-Box portal Centre launched to address sexual harassment at the workplace?

Amid the ongoing MeToo movement in Mollywood, the Malayalam film industry, the Centre has launched an initiative named SHe-Box portal to prevent sexual harassment cases of women at work.

It is a centralised platform for registering and monitoring complaints of sexual harassment of women in the workplace.

Here’s all we know about it.

What is SHe-Box?

• According to the Ministry’s press release, the new SHe-Box portal is a unified platform that serves as a comprehensive database, housing information on two committees established across both private and public sectors.

• “Sexual Harassment electronic Box (SHe-Box) is an effort of GoI to provide a single window access to every woman, irrespective of her work status, whether working in organised or unorganised, private or public sector, to facilitate the registration of complaint related to sexual harassment,” the website explains.

• It offers a common platform to file complaints, track their status and ensure time-bound processing of complaints by internal committees.

• The portal provides assured redressal of complaints and a streamlined process for all stakeholders.

• As per ANI, a designated nodal officer will enable real-time monitoring of complaints.

• Initially introduced in 2017, this is the upgraded version of the SHe-Box portal launched by Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, on Thursday in Delhi.

• During the event, she also launched a new website for women and child development.

• She hailed the launch of the portal, calling it a major step to deter sexual harassment of women in the workplace.

• “This will certainly benefit the women working in various sectors, as they can access it from anywhere by searching on Google. Additionally, we will make every effort, in collaboration with the state governments, to spread awareness about it among as many people as possible. We also want private institutions to register and get onboard so that the women working there can work fearlessly," the minister said.

How will it work?

• Annapurna Devi explained that women who are harassed at any workplace can register their cases and file their complaints on SHe-Box, following which two types of committees will be formed.

• One internal committee will be formed for private institutions, while for government institutions, a local committee under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner or an officer appointed by them will be formed.

• When a woman registers a complaint, it will be kept completely confidential and through it, a case will be registered with the local committee or the internal committee, and actions will be taken by them from time to time.

• The number of registered cases and the stage of complaint will also be monitored by the ministry.

• The Ministry also provided the link to access the SHe-Box portal: https://shebox.wcd.gov.in/

With inputs from agencies