Assam Government to roll out 'SHe-Box' across departments to tackle workplace harassment

In a significant step towards strengthening workplace safety and ensuring a secure reporting mechanism for women employees, the Assam government has decided to introduce the Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) across all departments of the state administration. The move aims to provide a confidential and accessible platform for women employees to report cases of workplace harassment without fear of exposure or retaliation.

Once implemented, the SHe-Box facility will be available in every department under the Assam government, enabling women employees to lodge complaints related to sexual harassment through a secure online system. The platform will allow complainants to submit grievances electronically and track the status of their complaints in a structured and transparent manner.

To oversee the implementation and functioning of the system, Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer Hemashri Hazarika, currently serving as the Additional Secretary to the Government of Assam in the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, has been appointed as the Nodal Officer for the SHe-Box mechanism. She will be responsible for monitoring the platform, ensuring that complaints are properly registered, tracked, and addressed in accordance with established procedures.

The SHe-Box platform has been designed to create a safer and more supportive environment for women employees who face harassment at their workplaces. By allowing victims to file complaints electronically and discreetly, the system is expected to reduce the barriers often associated with reporting such incidents, including fear of stigma or institutional pressure.

The initiative aligns with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act. The law mandates the establishment of mechanisms for prevention and redressal of sexual harassment complaints in workplaces. The SHe-Box platform functions as an online complaint management system that facilitates direct reporting, tracking of cases, and institutional accountability.

Although the SHe-Box mechanism was introduced earlier under the central government framework to streamline reporting of sexual harassment cases in government offices, it had not yet been operational across departments of the Assam government. The state’s decision to implement the system marks a major administrative step towards strengthening compliance with the POSH Act and reinforcing workplace safety norms within the state bureaucracy.

Officials say the move is expected to encourage greater reporting of workplace harassment cases and ensure timely redressal, thereby fostering a safer and more inclusive work environment for women employees across the state administration