Union Cabinet approves a bill making sexual contact with a girl below 18 a criminal offence even if it is consensual. The bill seeks to provide a secure and enabling environment for women employees, including domestic workers, against sexual harassment at the workplace .

The Sexual offences bill that come up before the Union Cabinet makes it mandatory for all workplaces, including homes, universities, hospitals, government and non-government offices, factories, other formal and informal work places to constitute an internal committee for redressal of complaints.

The proposed legislation will reaffirm guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the case Vishaka vs State of Rajasthan, 1997, that recognizes harassment as a form of discrimination against women and violation of the constitutional right to equality.