SHe-Box Complaint Portal India: Filing and Following Up on a POSH Complaint
A practical guide to the Government of India’s SHe-Box portal: who can use it, how a workplace complaint reaches an Internal or Local Committee, what to record safely, and what deadlines and follow-up questions to check.
In this guide
What does the SHe-Box portal do?
SHe-Box is the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s online route to register and track workplace sexual-harassment complaints under the POSH Act. It also lists workplace Internal Committees (ICs) and district Local Committees (LCs). The portal helps route and monitor a complaint; the appropriate IC or LC conducts the inquiry under the Act. The Ministry’s April 2026 update describes the portal as covering government and private workplaces and reporting complaint status.
Start at the official portal and follow its current prompts
Use shebox.wcd.gov.in, reached from a Government of India page if you are unsure the link is genuine. The site’s screens and required fields can change. Read the current privacy notice and instructions before entering names, contact details, a workplace or an incident account. Save the submitted complaint reference and a copy of what you sent, if the portal offers one.
Describe the workplace and the complaint route accurately
Write the employer or organisation’s name, location, work unit, your role or work arrangement, and any IC details you already know. The POSH Act applies across different employment arrangements; an LC may be the statutory route where a workplace has fewer than ten workers or the complaint is against the employer. If you are unsure which committee has jurisdiction, ask the portal or a legal-aid adviser to identify the correct route.
Use a short factual account rather than trying to prove everything in one form
Note what happened, when and where, who was present, what you did next, and what response or change followed. You can distinguish what you directly experienced from what someone else told you. Do not delay getting advice because you do not have every message, witness statement or document ready.
| Incident date and place | People and roles | Workplace and committee | Evidence kept safely | Submission reference and next check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How can you prepare and submit a complaint safely?
Make a private timeline and keep original records
Save relevant messages, emails, duty rosters, meeting details, notices and complaint responses in a place the respondent or workplace cannot access. Keep originals where possible and note how and when you received each record. Do not edit evidence or make an unlawful recording to fill a gap; ask a lawyer or legal-aid service what material is lawful and useful.
Choose a safe device and contact method
If a work account or shared phone may be monitored, use a safer device and email address if available. Decide whether a call, text, postal letter or another method is safe and at what time. Avoid sending a copy of the complaint to a supervisor or colleague just to create a record if doing so could increase risk.
Check the statutory filing period promptly
Under the POSH Act, a complaint is ordinarily made within three months of the incident, or the last incident in a series; the committee may extend that period by up to a further three months for recorded reasons. A portal submission should not be assumed to pause or extend a statutory deadline. If time has passed or is close, seek prompt advice from the relevant IC or LC, NALSA or a lawyer while using the portal route.
What happens after submission, and how should you follow up?
Keep the acknowledgement and identify the committee
Record the portal reference, submission date and any message that identifies the receiving IC or LC. If no acknowledgement appears, the listed committee is missing, or the route looks wrong, use the portal’s official help contact and ask the District Officer or legal-aid service to identify the competent committee. Do not treat a portal status update as a final legal decision.
Ask about process, interim support and confidentiality
Ask the committee how it will communicate, what information will be shared with the respondent, whether an interim measure is available, and how to report retaliation. POSH proceedings have confidentiality rules, but that is not a promise that the person complained against will never receive the allegations or relevant evidence needed for a fair inquiry. Keep identifying details out of public posts and group chats.
Know the inquiry timeline and escalation route
The Act sets a 90-day inquiry period. Ask for the committee’s contact, a written acknowledgement, the next procedural date and how to raise a delay or safety concern. If the employer controls the process, the committee is absent, or retaliation begins, get independent legal advice and use the appropriate district or statutory route; a portal cannot guarantee protection or a particular outcome.
SHe-Box complaint portal: FAQs
Can a woman in an informal or unorganised job use SHe-Box?
The POSH Act covers women at workplaces across organised and unorganised settings and different employment arrangements. SHe-Box is intended as an online route for workplace complaints; the correct committee depends on the facts and statutory jurisdiction. If the workplace is a household or has no IC, ask the district LC or legal aid which route applies.
What if my employer has no Internal Committee?
An LC is the statutory route in specified situations, including workplaces with fewer than ten workers or a complaint against the employer. Search the portal’s LC details and confirm the district contact with the District Officer if the record is missing or outdated.
Does sending a SHe-Box complaint guarantee an inquiry or result?
No portal can guarantee a finding, interim protection or a particular remedy. Save the reference, confirm that the complaint reached the competent IC or LC, and seek advice promptly if the statutory deadline or your safety is at issue.
Is SHe-Box anonymous?
Do not assume that an inquiry can proceed without identifying information or that all complaint details stay hidden from the people who must respond. Review the current portal privacy information and ask the receiving committee how it will handle and share information before submitting especially sensitive material.
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Sources and publication record
Draft prepared 27 September 2026; domain, legal and human Hindi editorial review pending · Sources checked .
- SHe-Box workplace sexual-harassment complaint portalMinistry of Women and Child Development
- SHe-Box portal implementation update, 1 April 2026Ministry of Women and Child Development, Press Information Bureau
- Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013India Code, Legislative Department
- Handbook on Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at WorkplaceNational Legal Services Authority
- Free legal services and National Legal Aid Helpline 15100National Legal Services Authority