How to file a SHe-Box complaint: what to prepare

To file on SHe-Box, prepare four things before you open the form: your contact details, the workplace where it happened, the respondent’s details and a short, dated account of each incident. SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment electronic Box) is the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s portal for complaints of sexual harassment of women at the workplace under the POSH Act, 2013. The current portal, at shebox.wcd.gov.in, was launched on 29 August 2024. It is available in 23 languages and inside the Mission Shakti app for Android and iOS. This guide is for India.

What SHe-Box does, and what it does not

The portal is a way in; the committee handles the complaint. Under the Act, that is the Internal Committee (IC) at your workplace, or the district Local Committee (LC) if the workplace has fewer than ten workers or the complaint is against the employer. The Ministry says the portal holds details of ICs added by registered workplaces and of district LCs, and that it has asked States and UTs to publish District Officer and nodal officer details there too. SHe-Box is not a route for unpaid wages or for bullying that is not sexual in nature. For pay and termination problems, see how the SAMADHAN portal differs from a POSH complaint.

Prepare these details offline

• Your details: name, and a mobile number and email address that you can check privately rather than a work account.
• Workplace: its name, address, district and state, and the name of the IC if you know it. The form may ask whether it is a Central Government office, a State Government office or a private workplace.
• Respondent: name, designation, workplace and working relationship to you, such as reporting manager, colleague or client. Note it if more than one person is involved.
• Earlier steps: if you have already complained to the IC, the date and any reference number.

Write the short account first

Online forms have limited space, so draft a short version in your own notes. Write one entry per incident, oldest first: date and approximate time, place or channel, what was said or done, who was present and what you did next. Quote exact words and mark estimates. The free incident log template uses the same prompts. An invented example, not a real person or workplace:

• 14 July 2026, about 6:40 pm, meeting room: after the review, senior colleague K stood close to me and asked me to come for a late dinner “alone”. I said no and left.
• 21 July 2026, 10:15 pm, WhatsApp: K sent two messages with remarks about my body. I did not reply. I emailed my reporting manager at 9:30 am the next day.

Attachments and after you submit

Attach only what is directly relevant and yours to share, such as screenshots or an exported chat with the messages before and after (see how to export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone). Keep the originals unchanged and make any redactions on a copy. Do not upload a whole phone backup or other people’s unrelated data.

1. Before you submit: check the date of the last incident. Section 9 of the Act sets three months, which the committee can extend by up to three months if circumstances prevented you from filing.
2. The day you submit: save the confirmation screen and any reference number, and keep a copy of exactly what you entered.
3. Next few weeks: note each call, email or notice from the committee with its date.
4. Within 90 days: the Act expects the inquiry to be completed, with the report ten days later. The steps in between are in POSH complaint format and timeline.
5. If you hear nothing: keep a dated note of each follow-up, including whom you contacted, how, and what they said.

If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first. Kirokune keeps your notes, photos and exported chats in time order on your iPhone. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice, and it does not file anything for you.

Frequently asked questions

Who can file a complaint on SHe-Box?

SHe-Box is for complaints by women about sexual harassment at work, in public and private workplaces, including informal ones. The POSH Act covers a woman of any age, whether or not she is employed at the workplace where it happened.

Is SHe-Box the same as the Internal Committee?

No. SHe-Box is the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s online portal. The Internal Committee at your workplace, or the district Local Committee, receives and inquires into the complaint under the POSH Act.

Can I file on SHe-Box after three months?

The POSH Act sets three months from the incident, or the last incident in a series. The committee can extend this by up to three months, recording its reasons in writing, if circumstances prevented you from filing. If you are close to or past the limit, explain why in the complaint.

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.