The Ministry of Women and Child Development organised a National Conference on Safety of Women at Workplace (SHe-Box) today ( 14 February 2026 ) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference was held in the august presence of the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi; Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur; & Members of Parliament, including Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, Smt. Rekha Sharma, Smt. Lovely Anand and Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya.
Senior officials from Central Ministries/Departments and States/UTs; Chairpersons and Members of Internal Committees (ICs) and Local Committees (LCs); Nodal Officers; representatives of international organisations; industry leaders; civil society representatives and other key stakeholders also participated in the programme.
The programme commenced with welcome remarks by Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development. He highlighted the scale of institutional progress made through SHe-Box, stating that with over 1.5 lakh workplaces onboarded and Local Committees active in every district, a nationwide safety architecture has been established.
At the same time, he underlined 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 essential to ensure comprehensive coverage and protection. This was followed by the screening of a thematic film titled “Safe Workplaces as Drivers of Viksit Bharat through Equality and Economic Participation of Women.”
During the inaugural session, the Union Minister 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 the collective commitment to ensuring safe and dignified workplaces for women across the country.
In her keynote address, Smt. Annpurna Devi emphasised that women’s safety at the workplace is not merely a statutory requirement but a reflection of the nation’s commitment to justice and equality. She noted that with over 1.48 lakh institutions registered on the SHe-Box portal, more than 60,000 Internal Committees functioning actively, and female labour force participation rising from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in the past six years, India is witnessing a decisive shift towards accountability and women-led development.
Referring to the historic Gender Budget allocation of over ₹5 lakh crore, she reiterated that women’s dignity, security, and economic empowerment remain central to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, and that a truly developed India will be one where every woman can work and lead without fear.
Building on this vision, Minister of State, Smt. Savitri Thakur, in her special address underscored that workplace safety is a fundamental right. She highlighted the broader ecosystem of empowerment that has strengthened women’s participation in the economy from the rise in women’s labour force participation to nearly 41.7 per cent in 2023–24, to 70 per cent of Mudra loans being extended to women, 44 per cent of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries being women, and over 10 crore women being connected through 90 lakh Self-Help Groups.
She emphasised that while these figures reflect progress, the ultimate goal is to ensure that every woman feels safe, respected, and empowered in every sphere of life. Echoing these sentiments, Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), highlighted that ensuring women’s safety at the workplace is integral to India’s constitutional commitment to equality and justice.
He noted that legislative and institutional mechanisms such as the PoSH Act and the SHe-Box portal strengthen transparency, accountability, and trust across sectors. A nationwide PoSH training video was also screened. Ministry of Labour & 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 (IFC), World Bank, along with experts in workplace safety and gender rights.
The discussion focused on strengthening institutional accountability, sharing global best practices and enhancing compliance mechanisms across both organised and unorganised sectors to build safer and more inclusive workplaces.
The conference brought together approximately 1,500 participants from over 160 organisations across the government and private sectors, and more than 40,000 people joined virtually through a live webcast, ensuring wider outreach.
The initiative aims to promote awareness of PoSH provisions, strengthen compliance, enhance adoption of SHe-Box, and foster a culture of safety and dignity for women at workplaces across the country.