Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Women and Child Development Department has directed all senior government officials to urgently display awareness materials related to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, widely known as the POSH Act, at visible locations in offices, schools, and colleges.

In an official letter, Additional Secretary to the Government, Jyotishankar Mohapatra, emphasised that implementation of the POSH Act remains inadequate in many organisations. The letter underlined the importance of generating awareness among not just women and girls, but also men and boys, to ensure safe and inclusive work and study environments.

As part of the initiative, a draft of the “Do’s and Don’ts” IEC (Information, Education and Communication) board has been circulated. The document outlines clear behavioural guidelines and educates individuals on identifying and preventing sexual harassment.

Among the key directives:

Do’s include respecting personal boundaries, speaking up against harassment, supporting victims, understanding the legal framework, and using formal complaint channels such as the Internal Committee (IC) and the She-Box Portal (shebox.wcd.gov.in).

Don’ts caution against inappropriate comments, physical advances, sending offensive content, demanding sexual favours, and dismissing or trivialising complaints. It also warns against the misuse of the law through false allegations.

Importantly, all organisations with more than 10 employees are mandated to have an Internal Committee (IC) in place. Authorities have been asked to ensure ICs are registered on the central She-Box portal.