On September 15, 2025, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking to bring women political workers under the protective umbrella of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai stated that granting such a request would ‘open a Pandora’s box,’ implying a floodgate of unforeseen complications and challenges.
The original petition argued that there was no rational or justifiable reason to deny women engaged in political activities the same legal protections afforded to women in other professional sectors. It specifically called for an expansion of the definitions of ‘workplace’ and ’employer’ within the 2013 Act to explicitly cover the dynamic and often informal political landscape.
The plea highlighted a critical vulnerability, stating, ‘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.’
Ultimately, the petition sought a judicial declaration affirming that ‘political parties are bound to follow the procedure for protection of women in the workplace under the POSH Act,’ and urged for the establishment of a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism to effectively address incidents of sexual harassment faced by women involved in political work.