Appoint district officers to effectively implement law against sexual harassment at workplace: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Centre, state governments and Union Territories to appoint district officers within four weeks for effective implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, Live Law reported.

The court also ordered hospitals, nursing homes, sports institutes and sports venues to establish internal complaints committees, Bar and Bench reported.

A division bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta passed the judgement on a plea by the Initiatives for Inclusive Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, seeking the court’s directions for authorities to implement the provisions of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act more effectively.

The law requires companies with over 10 employees to have an internal complaints committee. Every district must also have a local committee to register complaints of sexual harassment at workplace from companies having fewer than 10 employees. The local committee is to also receive complaints from workers in the unorganised sector such as domestic workers, street vendors, construction labourers, those involved in weaving and accredited social health activists.

The district officer is responsible for designating a nodal officer in each block, taluka and tehsil in rural or tribal areas, and in every ward or municipality in urban areas. The nodal officer forwards such complaints to the local committee.

However, complainants from the...

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