21 Nov 2019

Women Against Rape (WAR) coordinator, Ms Peggy Ramaphane has underscored the need for organisations to develop sexual harassment policies in the workplace to promote safety of workers.

In an interview, she revealed that issues of sexual harassment in the workplace were worrisome, adding that women and girls often fell victims.

She appreciated that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently adopted what had been viewed as a historic convention, addressing the reduction of violence and harassment in the workplace, with an overwhelming majority. 

Ms Ramaphane called on governments to adopt and sign the convention as it could work wonders on issues of sexual harassment in the workplace. The convention, she said, would improve protection of workers facing violence and harassment. 

For government to ratify the convention, they would be required to develop national laws prohibiting workplace violence and to take preventative measures, such as information campaigns.

The convention defines violence and harassment as ‘a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender-based violence and harassment’.

Meanwhile, WAR, stakeholders and the Maun community will  embark on a campaign on Monday to launch the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. 

Ms Ramaphane explained that the campaign was an international activity aimed at fighting gender- based violence among the community. In addition, she said this time they would be focusing on sexual harassment at the workplace, noting that everyone had a right to violence-free workplace.

She said their main focus would be on women as they were mostly subjected to sexual harassment, citing that at times, they were denied the opportunity to enjoy some of their rights such as promotions just because they turned their supervisors’ love proposals down.

Ms Ramaphane revealed that women had the right to safety in the workplace, hence sexual harassment policy should be encouraged in all organisations.

“We want to see organisations taking issues of sexual harassment seriously. 

They must develop plans and create time in their schedules to talk about issues of sexual harassment and educate their staff,” she added. Ends