The Ministry of Women and Child Development organised a National Conference on Safety of Women at Workplace under the SHe-Box initiative at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to ensuring dignity, safety and equality for women across all workplaces.
The conference was held in the presence of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annapurna Devi; Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur; and Members of Parliament Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, Smt. Rekha Sharma, Smt. Lovely Anand and Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya.
Senior officials from Central Ministries and States and Union Territories, Chairpersons and Members of Internal Committees and Local Committees, Nodal Officers, representatives of international organisations, industry leaders and civil society representatives participated in the event.
The programme commenced with welcome remarks by Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development. He highlighted that more than 1.5 lakh workplaces have been onboarded on the SHe-Box platform and Local Committees are active in every district, establishing a nationwide safety architecture. He noted that with women’s labour force participation at 42 per cent and over 80 per cent of women engaged in the informal sector, sustained efforts are required to ensure comprehensive protection.
A thematic film titled Safe Workplaces as Drivers of Viksit Bharat through Equality and Economic Participation of Women was screened to underline the importance of safe work environments in achieving inclusive development.
During the inaugural session, Smt. Annapurna Devi launched the SHe-Box logo, the PoSH Voluntary Compliance Checklist, the integration of SHe-Box with the Mission Shakti App, and the Karmayogi Bharat PoSH Training Link on the SHe-Box portal. She also administered the National Workplace Safety Pledge, reinforcing a collective resolve to build secure and dignified workplaces nationwide.
In her keynote address, Smt. Annapurna Devi stated that workplace safety is not merely a statutory requirement but a reflection of the nation’s commitment to justice and equality. She said that over 1.48 lakh institutions are registered on the SHe-Box portal and more than 60,000 Internal Committees are functioning actively. She highlighted that female labour force participation has risen from 23 per cent to 42 per cent over the past six years and referred to the Gender Budget allocation exceeding ₹5 lakh crore. She affirmed that women’s dignity, security and economic empowerment are central to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Smt. Savitri Thakur, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, emphasised that workplace safety is a fundamental right. She cited key indicators of women’s economic participation, including nearly 41.7 per cent female labour force participation in 2023–24, 70 per cent of Mudra loans extended to women, 44 per cent of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries being women, and over 10 crore women connected through 90 lakh Self Help Groups. She stated that progress must translate into an environment where every woman feels safe and respected.
Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi underscored that ensuring workplace safety aligns with India’s constitutional commitment to equality and justice. He observed that legislative and institutional mechanisms such as the PoSH Act and the SHe-Box portal strengthen transparency and accountability.
A nationwide PoSH training video was screened during the session. The Ministry of Labour and Employment shared insights on the role of the new Labour Codes in promoting safe workplaces.
A panel discussion on Strengthening Compliance and Creating Safe Workplace Culture brought together senior representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Parliament, the Supreme Court of India, UN Women and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, along with experts in workplace safety and gender rights. The discussion focused on institutional accountability, global best practices and compliance mechanisms across organised and unorganised sectors.
The conference witnessed participation of approximately 1,500 representatives from over 160 organisations across government and private sectors, while more than 40,000 participants joined virtually through live webcast.
The initiative aims to enhance awareness of PoSH provisions, strengthen compliance mechanisms, expand adoption of SHe-Box and foster a culture of safety and dignity for women at workplaces across the country.
