HEAD of the Hugh Shearer Labour Institute Danny Roberts says there is an increasing number of incidents in the society of women harassing men.

“While sexual harassment is predominantly men harassing women, there has been increasing incidents of women harassing men,” Roberts remarked. He was one of several experts at a virtual round table yesterday, discussing the issue of sexual harassment in the context of the 2019 Sexual Harassment Bill, which is now before Parliament for review.

The forum was funded by the European Union, and convened by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under Spotlight Initiative Jamaica, to contribute to ongoing public education on the draft legislation.

Roberts also suggested that a register for repeat sex offenders should be considered among the measures to identify and root out sexual harassment.

“I have come across a number of cases in which the anecdotal stories are that this person who is being accused of sexual harassment has a history,” he said.

He stressed that the mindset towards sexual harassment in Jamaica needs to be reengineered using the education system, starting from as early as the basic school level.

UNDP multi-country resident representative Denise E Antonio commended the Jamaican Government on its advancements to implement anti-sexual harassment legislation, calling it a “bold step in the right direction”.

She noted, at the same time, that the Government should endeavour to ensure that Jamaica passes the best possible fit for purpose legislation.

“For too many women, and men, too, workplaces and roadways are battle zones. Sexual harassment imposes a personal, professional and mental cost on victims and a reputational and productive cost on organisations. Many suffer in silence, fearing loss of jobs, perceiving that there is insufficient recourse in workplace policy and law,” she stated.

Antonio pointed out that unwanted catcalls, touches, crude and degrading statements, and taking advantage of unequal power dynamics lead to unsafe and toxic work environments. “We must recognise sexual harassment for what it is – an assault on the dignity, productivity and career prospects of women and men,” she said.

The UNDP country representative stressed that the reality of sexual harassment is more significant than the official complaints indicate, pointing out that studies in the European Union, for example, showed that 40–50 per cent of women report some form of sexual harassment or unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace.

The special event convened during the global ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’ featured an introduction of the draft Sexual Harassment Act, issues of sexual harassment in the work space, and insights from the sexual harassment policy of the UNDP.

The joint select parliamentary committee, which is reviewing the Bill, will again meet at Gordon House today to hear more submissions from interest groups and individuals.