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POSH Act Act No. 14 of 2013

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, with the Rules made under it linked from the sections that enable them.

30 Sections
8 Chapters
90 days Inquiry window
Rs. 50,000 Non-compliance fine
Act No. 14 of 2013 Enacted 22 April 2013 Enforced 09 December 2013 Ministry of Women and Child Development
30 sections
Default readable text
Opening text

Preamble

An Act to provide protection against sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. of women at workplaceDefined in section 2(o): includes public and private establishments, hospitals, sports venues, places visited during employment, employer-provided transport, and dwelling places or houses. and for the prevention and redressal of complaints of sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
WHEREAS sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. results in violation of the fundamental rights of a woman to equality under articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India and her right to life and to live with dignity under article 21 of the Constitution and right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business which includes a right to a safe environment free from sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.;
AND WHEREAS the protection against sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. and the right to work with dignity are universally recognised human rights by international conventions and instruments such as Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, which has been ratified on the 25th June, 1993 by the Government of India;
AND WHEREAS it is expedient to make provisions for giving effect to the said Convention for protection of women against sexual harassmentDefined in section 2(n): includes unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, or other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. at workplaceDefined in section 2(o): includes public and private establishments, hospitals, sports venues, places visited during employment, employer-provided transport, and dwelling places or houses..
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows:
Chapter I

Preliminary

3 sections
Chapter II

Constitution of Internal Committee

1 sections
Chapter III

Constitution of Local Committee

4 sections
Chapter IV

Complaint

3 sections
Chapter V

Inquiry into Complaint

7 sections
Chapter VI

Duties of Employer

1 sections
Chapter VII

Duties and Powers of District Officer

1 sections
Chapter VIII

Miscellaneous

10 sections

Rules made under this Act

The Rules are made Chapter by Chapter, not as one body: each set below sits under the Chapter its notification is issued under. A set that serves the Act generally is listed last.

Across the Act

POSH Rules G.S.R. 769(E)