Maneka thanks Corporate Affairs Ministry for amending Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi thanked the Corporate Affairs Ministry today for making it mandatory for all companies to disclose that they have complied with the Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act.

Under the amendment to the Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act, 2013, both private and public companies would need to set up committees for any women who believe she has been harassed at work place, Gandhi said.

Calling it a "major" step towards making women safer at their work place, especially in private companies, she thanked the Corporate Affairs Ministry for making it mandatory for all companies to disclose that they have complied with the Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act.

"I have set up the guidance and training material on the WCD. I would request both at the compliance cell and women at work place to access this material," she said.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, issued under Section-134 of the Companies Act, by inserting clause to disclose that both private and government companies have complied with the Sexual Harassment at Work Place Act.

"A statement that the company has complied with provisions relating to the constitution of Internal Complaints Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013," according to the notification of the Corporate Affairs Ministry dated July 31, 2018.

Gandhi also stated that she will be requesting the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to suitably incorporate this disclosure in the Corporate Governance reports of the companies.

"This will cast as ever higher responsibility on the Directors of these Companies for implementation of the Act," Gandhi said in a statement.

Section-134 of the Companies Act, 2013 provides the disclosure framework which the directors of every company are required to comply with in the annual reports.

This section also includes the penal provisions for non-disclosure. The inclusion of the compliance under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act in the non-financial disclosures will ensure that the issue gets in the focus into the board of directors of the companies