| Commission overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1993 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Haryana |
| Headquarters | Haryana State Commission For Women, Bays No. 39-40, CADA Bhawan, Sector-4, Panchkula, Haryana. [1] |
| Commission executive |
|
| Website | Official website Official website |
Haryana State Commission for Women is a statutory body constituted in the year 1993 to deal with the issues relating to crime against women in the state of Haryana. The commission for welfare of women in the state was set up by Haryana Government as a quasi-judicial body.
Haryana State Commission for Women was formed to investigate specific problems relating to women and apart from studying women related issues from the state. [2] The commission is equipped with powers to safeguard rights of women and ensure their protection and equality against any form of harassment and issues faced in the family and community.
The commission was created with the following objectives:
Haryana State Commission for Women was formed with a chairperson and maximum 5 members. [3] The social welfare department of the state makes modalities for appointing the Chairman of the State Commission for Women.
Smt. Preeti Bhardwaj Dalal is the Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women. [4] She along with other members will hold office for a period of 3 years.
Haryana State Commission for Women was formed to perform below activities:
The Haryana State Commission for Women has faced significant controversies that have raised questions about its operational integrity, impartiality, and effectiveness.
In 2023, the HSCW came under intense criticism for its delayed and inadequate response to a mass sexual assault case involving 142 minor girls in Jind district. Civil society groups and child rights activists accused the commission of failing to meet victims or their families and of handling the case through bureaucratic correspondence from its Panchkula headquarters rather than conducting field investigations. [7] The perceived apathy contributed to a lack of trust among the victims and their families and drew broader criticism regarding the commission’s efficacy in addressing gender-based violence.
In 2024, the HSCW issued a suo motu notice to Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala over comments allegedly made against BJP MP Hema Malini, deeming them offensive to women’s dignity. [8] Surjewala claimed the remarks were distorted and politically weaponized, leading to allegations that the commission was selectively targeting opposition leaders to serve partisan interests.
Critics accused the commission of functioning as an "extortion racket" in marital disputes. [9] The controversy deepened in 2025 when Vice-Chairperson Sonia Aggarwal was arrested along with her driver for allegedly accepting a INR 1 lakh bribe to settle a complaint. [10] These incidents reinforced public perceptions of corruption and misuse of institutional power within the commission.
In 2025, the HSCW summoned political scientist Ali Khan Mahmudabad, alleging that his social media posts were derogatory toward women in the armed forces and incited communal unrest. [11] Legal experts and academics criticized the move as a jurisdictional overreach and an infringement on academic freedom and freedom of speech. An open letter signed by over 1,600 individuals accused the commission of slandering Mahmudabad and acting outside its legal authority. [12]