States must appoint District Officers under Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 (PoSH Act): Supreme Court
SC directions came on a petition by NGO ‘Initiatives for Inclusion Foundation’ and others in 2017 seeking directions for implementation of PoSH Act.
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Key SC directions about PoSH Act
- Principal Secretaries of Ministry of Women and Child Development of every states/UTs to ensure appointment of District officer in every district within four weeks under Section 5 of PoSH Act.
♦ Each appointed District Officers would constitute Local Complaints Committees to receive complaints from women employed in small establishments with less than 10 workers or cases in which the assailant is the employer himself (section 6 of Act).
♦ Chairperson and every Member of Local Committee shall hold office for such period, not exceeding three years, from date of their appointment as may be specified by District Officer. - Identify a ‘nodal person’ within Department to oversee implementation of PoSH Act and coordinate with Centre.
- Each State/UT Government is to submit a consolidated report of its compliance with the directions to Centre within eight weeks.
♦ Centre to consolidate reports, identify/remedy lapses in compliance by State, before filing a consolidated affidavit of compliance within 12 weeks.
PoSH Act 2013
It was enacted for making workplaces safer for women by preventing, prohibiting and redressing acts of sexual harassment against them in workplace.
It is based on Vishakha guidelines laid down by SC in 1997.