The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (Act No. 14 of 2013) provides protection against sexual harassment of women at the workplace and mechanisms for the prevention and redressal of such complaints. It mandates the constitution of Internal Complaints Committees and Local Complaints Committees, lays down the complaint, conciliation and inquiry process, and sets out the duties of employers and District Officers in ensuring a safe working environment.
CHAPTER I — PRELIMINARY
- Section 1 — Short Title, Extent and Commencement
- Section 2 — Definitions
- Section 3 — Prevention of Sexual Harassment
CHAPTER II — CONSTITUTION OF INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE
CHAPTER III — CONSTITUTION OF LOCAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE
- Section 5 — Notification of District Officer
- Section 6 — Constitution and Jurisdiction of Local Committee
- Section 7 — Composition, Tenure and Other Terms and Conditions of Local Committee
- Section 8 — Grants and Audit
CHAPTER IV — COMPLAINT
- Section 9 — Complaint of Sexual Harassment
- Section 10 — Conciliation
- Section 11 — Inquiry into Complaint
CHAPTER V — INQUIRY INTO COMPLAINT
- Section 12 — Action During Pendency of Inquiry
- Section 13 — Inquiry Report
- Section 14 — Punishment for False or Malicious Complaint and False Evidence
- Section 15 — Determination of Compensation
- Section 16 — Prohibition of Publication or Making Known Contents of Complaint and Inquiry Proceedings
- Section 17 — Penalty for Publication or Making Known Contents of Complaint and Inquiry Proceedings
- Section 18 — Appeal
CHAPTER VI — DUTIES OF EMPLOYER
CHAPTER VII — DUTIES AND POWERS OF DISTRICT OFFICER
CHAPTER VIII — MISCELLANEOUS
- Section 21 — Committee to Submit Annual Report
- Section 22 — Employer to Include Information in Annual Report
- Section 23 — Appropriate Government to Monitor Implementation and Maintain Data
- Section 24 — Appropriate Government to Take Measures to Publicise the Act
- Section 25 — Power to Call for Information and Inspection of Records
- Section 26 — Penalty for Non-Compliance with Provisions of Act
- Section 27 — Cognizance of Offence by Courts
- Section 28 — Act Not in Derogation of Any Other Law
- Section 29 — Power of Appropriate Government to Make Rules
- Section 30 — Power to Remove Difficulties
Note: The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (Act No. 14 of 2013) received assent on 22nd April, 2013, and extends to the whole of India. It came into force on 9th December, 2013. Enacted to give effect to India’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (ratified 25th June, 1993) and to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution, the Act requires every employer to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee and every District Officer to constitute a Local Complaints Committee, and lays down the procedure for filing, conciliating, inquiring into, and redressing complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace.
