The West Siang Women and Child Development Department on Monday conducted an awareness programme on laws and mechanisms aimed at protecting women from domestic violence and workplace harassment. The programme focused on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act, and SHE-Box, an online platform for reporting and addressing complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace. Participants were sensitised to the legal protections available to women, available grievance-redressal mechanisms and the importance of creating safe, respectful and harassment-free workplaces. The programme also highlighted Section 4 of the POSH Act concerning the constitution and functioning of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs), including their role in receiving, addressing and ensuring proper redressal of workplace harassment complaints. The department emphasised the importance of strengthening awareness of women’s rights, legal remedies and institutional mechanisms while encouraging collective responsibility to prevent violence and harassment. It urged departments and organisations to ensure proper implementation of the POSH Act, including the constitution or reconstitution of ICCs wherever required. The programme concluded with a call for greater awareness, vigilance and coordinated efforts to ensure that women are able to live and work in safe, respectful and dignified environments.
