NEW DELHI, Feb 14: The Ministry of Women and Child Development today convened a national conference on Safety of Women at Workplace, reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening institutional mechanisms that ensure dignity and protection of women across professional spaces.
The conference, held at Vigyan Bhawan in the national Capital, marked a significant push to promote awareness, accountability and compliance under workplace safety frameworks nationwide.
Union Minister Annapurna Devi unveiled the SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment electronic Box, a centralized, digital platform) logo, launched a PoSH (the law designed to protect women and employees from sexual harassment) Voluntary Compliance Checklist, and announced the integration of the SHe-Box portal with the Mission Shakti App and the Karmayogi Bharat PoSH training module.
A national workplace safety pledge was also administered during the event, underscoring the collective resolve to foster a culture of safety, respect and zero tolerance for harassment at workplaces in the country.
A thematic film titled ‘Safe workplaces as drivers of Viksit Bharat through equality and economic participation of women’, was also screened at the conference.
Addressing the gathering, the WCD Minister emphasised that women’s safety at the workplace is not merely a statutory requirement, but a reflection of the nation’s commitment to justice and equality.
She noted that with over 1.48 lakh institutions registered on the SHe-Box portal, more than 60,000 internal committees functioning actively, and female labour force participation rising from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in the past six years, India is witnessing a decisive shift towards accountability and women-led development.
Referring to the historic Gender Budget allocation of over Rs 5 lakh crore, she reiterated that women’s dignity, security, and economic empowerment remain central to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, and that a truly developed India will be one where every woman can work and lead without fear.
Building on this vision, Minister of State, Savitri Thakur, in her special address underscored that workplace safety is a fundamental right. She highlighted the broader ecosystem of empowerment that has strengthened women’s participation in the economy. The women’s labour force participation rose to nearly 41.7 per cent in 2023-24. Around 70 per cent of Mudra loans were extended to women and 44 per cent of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries are women, with over 10 crore women being connected through 90 lakh self-help groups.
She emphasised that while these figures reflect progress, the ultimate goal is to ensure that every woman feels safe, respected, and empowered in every sphere of life.
Later, a panel discussion on ‘Strengthening compliance and creating safe workplace culture’ brought together senior representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Parliament, the Supreme Court of India, UN Women, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank, along with experts in workplace safety and gender rights.
The discussion focused on strengthening institutional accountability, sharing best practices and enhancing compliance mechanisms across both organised and unorganised sectors to build safer and more inclusive workplaces.
The conference brought together approximately 1,500 participants from over 160 organisations across government and private sectors, and more than 40,000 people joined virtually through a live webcast, ensuring wider outreach.
(UNI)
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