Supreme Court rejects plea to include women political workers under POSH Act

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 15, 2025) dismissed a plea challenging the exclusion of women political workers from the ambit of protection under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 or POSH Act.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai dismissed the petition saying it would open a Pandora’s box.

The petition contended that there was no rational or intelligible differentia to exclude women in politics from protections available to women in other professions.

The plea said the definitions of ‘workplace’ and ‘employer’ under the 2013 Act must be expanded to include the political spectrum.

“Despite the Act’s progressive intent, women political workers, particularly at the grassroots, remain vulnerable to sexual exploitation during campaigns and party work, with no effective legal remedy under the existing legislative framework,” it had said.

The petition sought a declaration from the court that “political parties are bound to follow the procedure for protection of women in the workplace under the POSH Act”.

It had called for the constitution of a grievance redressal mechanism against sexual harassment of women political workers.