Goa State Commission for Women and SARVAM Conduct Landmark PoSH Workshop for Government Departments

 Panaji, Goa – September 23, 2025: The Goa State Commission for Women (GSCW), in collaboration with PoSH consultancy SARVAM, organized a landmark capacity-building workshop for Internal Committee (IC) members of various Government of Goa departments on September 11, 2025, at Instituto De Menezes Braganza Hall, Panaji. The initiative aimed to amplify awareness and strengthen implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PoSH) Act, 2013.

The event was inaugurated by Shri. Sudeep Jain, IAS, Member Secretary, National Commission for Women, New Delhi, as Chief Guest, and Smt. Jyoti Desai, Director, Directorate of Women & Child Development (DWCD), Goa, as Guest of Honour. The program was presided over by Smt. Ranjita Pai, Chairperson, GSCW, and Smt. Upasana Mazgaonkar, Member Secretary, GSCW. Training was led by Smt. Ashwini Patwardhan, DWCD-empanelled PoSH Trainer and Founder of SARVAM, supported by legal experts Adv. Siddhi Parodkar and Adv. Deepali Kare.

The workshop witnessed participation from over 375 officers representing nearly 30 government departments, underscoring Goa’s strong commitment to fostering safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces.

To date, SARVAM has conducted more than 250 awareness sessions and capacity-building workshops, sensitizing over 6,500 individuals across government and corporate organizations. This workshop further builds on SARVAM’s mission of empowering ICs to address workplace harassment cases with competence, sensitivity, and fairness.

Smt. Ranjita Pai, Chairperson, GSCW, said:

“We are delighted to partner with Team SARVAM, led by its visionary founder Smt. Ashwini Patwardhan, in this important initiative. Together, we look forward to making a significant impact in promoting a safe and respectful work environment in Goa.”

Smt. Upasana Mazgaonkar, Member Secretary, GSCW, added:

“GSCW’s commitment towards strengthening ICs, especially in government departments, has worked so well in collaboration with Team SARVAM. Their approach has been remarkable—making this complicated subject matter simple to understand while ensuring participants fully realize their responsibilities.”

Smt. Jyoti Desai, Director, DWCD, shared:

“We greatly appreciate the efforts of Team SARVAM and Smt. Ashwini Patwardhan, who is empanelled by DWCD as a PoSH Trainer from the State of Goa. Their dedication to simplifying complex provisions of the Act while sensitizing IC members is commendable. The Directorate remains committed to ensuring safe workplaces across all sectors through such collaborative efforts.”

Speaking at the workshop, Smt. Ashwini Patwardhan, Founder of SARVAM, encouraged participants to act as true PoSH warriors:

“Each of us is not just an IC member but a stakeholder in building workplaces rooted in respect and fairness. The real strength lies in collaboration, as only by joining hands across public and private sectors can we create mass awareness and large-scale impact.”

This collaboration between GSCW and SARVAM marks a significant step toward strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring compliance, and fostering a culture of dignity at the workplace.