Mission Underway to Promote Women-Friendly IT Parks and Workplaces in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: In a move to ensure safer workplaces, the Kerala government has announced a focused initiative to make IT parks across the state women-friendly environments. This effort is being spearheaded by the Women and Child Development Department in collaboration with the IT Department.

Health Minister Veena George, while addressing a training session in the state capital, stated that a mission-mode operation is underway to establish Internal Committees (ICs) in all companies, particularly within IT parks and public sector undertakings.

The minister was speaking at a training program organised for the chairpersons and members of Internal Committees formed in various offices at Technopark. The event, held at Chaitram Hotel, is part of a broader drive to implement the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redress) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act.

The government has set clear targets for this initiative. Minister said that the formation of Internal Committees in all government departments in Kerala was completed by March 8, 2025 (International Women's Day).

To streamline monitoring, the Women and Child Development Department launched a dedicated portal in 2023 to oversee the functioning of these ICs. The scope of this initiative is also being expanded beyond the government and IT sectors, with training programs being organised for forming internal committees in other industries, including the film sector.

The recent training at Technopark, which saw participation of 100 members and chairpersons of various ICs. These committees are mandated for all offices employing ten or more people and are a crucial mechanism for redress under the POSH Act.

Minister emphasised that ensuring the formation and proper functioning of these committees is the fundamental responsibility of employers and establishments.

The event was chaired by Women and Child Development Department Director Haritha V. Kumar. The training sessions were led by Nirbhaya Cell State Co-ordinator Shrili Menon, while Additional Director Bindu Gopinath delivered the welcome address.

In a related note, the minister also commended the IT sector for its strong support of the health department's cancer prevention awareness campaign, "Arogyam Anandam Aakkam Arbudam" (Health Happiness Can Prevent Cancer).