Pune: In a move aimed at strengthening enforcement of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (Posh Act), state govt has decided to make compliance checks mandatory during annual audits and inspections of private companies and establishments.The decision comes days after the National Commission for Women (NCW) issued a nationwide advisory directing all states and Union Territories to strengthen implementation of the law through mandatory annual audits, dedicated monitoring mechanisms and stricter enforcement of workplace safety norms.The NCW advisory followed its inquiry into alleged lapses in Posh compliance at a private company in Nashik, which exposed serious deficiencies in workplace grievance redressal systems and prompted the commission to recommend stricter enforcement across the country.The state’s decision was taken on Friday at a joint meeting of the women and child development (WCD) and labour departments, chaired by WCD minister Aditi Tatkare, to review implementation of the Act in the private sector.“As part of these measures, compliance with the Posh Act will be verified during annual inspections and audits of private establishments,” Tatkare said, adding that the govt was committed to ensuring safer workplaces for women.“Providing women with a safe and dignified workplace is every woman’s right. The govt will not compromise on ensuring effective implementation of the Posh Act,” she added.The govt has also decided that all new private establishments seeking registration, as well as existing establishments applying for renewal, must compulsorily constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated under the Act.Tatkare said the women and child development commissionerate has constituted a committee comprising experts from the labour, education and industry sectors to recommend measures for more effective implementation of the law. The panel was formed in line with an assurance given by the govt in the state legislature.The state has, to strengthen enforcement, authorised 12 officers as inspection officers under the Act. They have been assigned urban and rural jurisdictions across districts to monitor compliance and ensure establishments adhere to statutory provisions, officials said.WCD officials reiterated that every private establishment employing 10 or more workers is legally required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee to provide women employees with a formal mechanism to report complaints of sexual harassment.The NCW advisory recommends 18 immediate measures, including mandatory annual Posh audits, constitution of legally compliant Internal Committees, appointment of district officers, creation of state-level Posh monitoring cells and digital compliance dashboards and strengthening Local Committees for women employed in the unorganised sector. The advisory has been circulated to chief secretaries, directors general of police, district magistrates, senior superintendents of police and commissioners of police to ensure effective implementation and accountability.Tatkare said empowering and protecting women was not merely a legal obligation but also the govt’s responsibility. “Our objective is to ensure that every woman in the state can work in a fearless, safe and dignified environment,” she said.
