Supreme Court Decision on POSH Act and Women Political Workers
The Supreme Court of India, on September 15, 2025, dismissed a petition challenging the exclusion of women political workers from the protections under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act.
Details of the Petition
- The petition argued that excluding women in politics from the POSH Act protections lacked a rational or intelligible differentia.
- It suggested that the definitions of 'workplace' and 'employer' should be expanded to cover political contexts.
- The petition highlighted the vulnerability of women political workers, especially at the grassroots, during campaigns and party work due to the absence of effective legal remedies.
Supreme Court's Rationale
- A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai dismissed the plea, indicating that accepting it would open a Pandora’s box.
Petition's Demand
- The petition sought a declaration that political parties must adhere to the POSH Act's procedures to protect women in the political workplace.
- It called for the establishment of a grievance redressal mechanism specifically for women political workers facing sexual harassment.
