Tue | May 21, 2024

Grange: Sexual Harassment Bill ready for sign-off

Published:Wednesday | September 26, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Olivia Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport (second left), with (from left) Judith Wedderburn, director, WMW Jamaica; Elaine Commissiong, regional coordinator and consultant, Media and Development Programme, WMW Jamaica; and Elaine Wint, transformational trainer, at the WMW Jamaica Forum held at CARIMAC Annex 11, University of the West Indies, Mona, on Wednesday. Minister Grange was presented with a publication from WMW Jamaica titled ‘Whose Perspective? A Guide to Gender-Aware Analysis of Media Content’.

Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, yesterday announced that "the Prevention of Sexual Harassment draft bill, with all the revisions recommended by Cabinet, is now ready to be signed off on".

"The bill now reflects recommendations that came from Cabinet regarding the establishment of a Sexual Harassment Tribunal to hear all sexual harassment matters and the designation of field officers from the Bureau of Gender Affairs as authorised officers," the minister said.

She described the amendments to the draft bill as "major achievements".

Included in the draft are new proposals for hearing sexual harassment complaints. According to the minister, the new proposals include a mechanism for complaints to be dealt with by the Bureau of Gender Affairs.

Grange was speaking at a WMW Jamaica Forum held under the theme, 'The impact of Media Reporting on Violence against Women in the Caribbean' at CARIMAC Annex 11, University of the West Indies, Mona, on Wednesday.

The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Bill seeks to protect women and men from unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and crude sexual behaviours that affect quality of life by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.