NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over lack of awareness among the informal sector women workers about Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Delhi government will launch a mass-scale awareness campaign for the same. Sisodia on Monday chaired an important meeting of the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) on the implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act 2013 at the Delhi Secretariat. Sisodia reviewed the status, challenges and improvement of the implementation of this Act in all 11 districts of Delhi. Eight out of 11 districts have formed the local level committees in their districts.
The Act makes it mandatory for government, private and non-government formal establishments to form Internal Committee (IC) wherever there are more than 10 employees. For the informal sector, such as domestic workers, open markets, in case of any harassment faced by a woman, a Local Committee (LC) at District level with a nodal officer in-charge to address the complaint.
The Deputy CM said that "This is a very effective act and we must use it in both letter and spirit to make it workable. These Local Committees can play a very important role in the implementation of this act. It is our top concern to provide a safe work environment for Delhi's women". Sisodia has ordered District Magistrates to provide space to these Local Committees from where they can function.