GoM set up to strengthen safety laws for women at workplaces

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks to prevent and deal with sexual harassment of women in workplaces, a development that came a week after the minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar resigned over multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and assault.

Headed by Union home Minister Rajnath Singh, the fourmember GoM will examine the existing provisions for dealing with sexual harassment of women in offices. “The GoM will recommend action required for effective implementation of the existing provisions, as well as for strengthening the existing legal and institutional frameworks for addressing issues related to sexual harassment at workplace,” the home ministry said in a statement.

The other members of the GoM are road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and women and child development minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.


The ministry said the group will examine and recommend within three months further measures required to strengthen and make the existing provisions for the safety of women more effective. It said the GoM was constituted to have a broader consultation on the issue and to formulate appropriate recommendations and lay down a comprehensive plan of action for ensuring time-bound implementation.

Although India has in place the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, the #MeToo campaign revealed that many victims of sexual harassment could not speak up.

In its statement, the home ministry said the women and child development has also launched an electronic complaints box that enables women, irrespective of their work status, to raise their voice.