Anti-sexual harassment bill released for public review
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has published the long-awaited Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill, which protects people from sexual harassment and gender-based bullying in various circumstances and introduces remedies where a person makes a complaint. The bill was decades in the making and continues to be controversial because of concerns about false complaints, an issue that the bill deals with.
However, the proposed law won’t go before parliament until the next government is in place, as the consultation deadline extends to 4 February, one month before the official start of the election campaign.
The bill lays out actions that offend, humiliate or degrade the person alleging sexual harassment. It also requires workplaces to have policies in place to protect workers and confers a responsibility on employers to protect their staff from being harassed at work or as a result of their work.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Heritage, which is sponsoring the bill, said feedback on the bill can be sent to GenderEquality@gov.ky
Members of the public can also contact their MPs to lobby for or against the legislation and raise any questions or concerns.
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The picture for this article and previous CNS articles on sexual harassment, depict men harassing women in an office setting. Can we please stop the false narrative that only women are victims of sexual harassment? As a young man I was sexually harassed and groped by female colleagues in senior management positions, so I know for a fact that women are not the only victims.
This Bill is just a ploy by the Caretaker Government to call a session of parliament…so that they can speak on unrelated matters under the cover of parliamentary privilege. [MPs have legal immunity for what they say or do during proceedings in Parliament.]
To 8:05am: For your information, the Constitution dictates that there has to be another gathering before the elections. Please educate yourself.
It’s not harassment if you’re both crying.
Suppression of women finds its origin in religeon.
So lets get rid of that evil first, by removing the mandatory praying in public schools.
You know this will only work if you are Caymanian. Any person without status making such a report or complaint will find themselves without a job, without a work permit, and deported. The hold that the work permit system has over people is deplorable, and leaves many lower paid and domestic workers open to abuse they cannot report.
This is perhaps one of the worst bill’s i have ever seen… for a start there is already the Gender Equality Tribunal, which deals with Sexual Harassment.. a simple bill extending the jurisdiction of that could be drafted.
Secondly, We are now going to have a third Tribunal for employment matters, the Labour Tribunal, the Gender Equality Tribunal, the Anti Sexual Harassment Tribunal…
why do we need three? Why can’t we just have one that deals with them all?
Thirdly, there is going to be huge amounts of satellite litigation created, i.e. whether the person has filed a grievance with the business….
Lastly, and i could go on, an employer is only liable if they were aware (or become aware) of the conduct and failed to take reasonable steps. So if the victim has been sexaully harrassed for years, they tell their boss and he sacks the third party… they have no claim.
Last Zion: Have you submitted your observations to the e mail address provided? Doing so in the CNS page alone is not enough.
It’s about time! I’m tired of these women giving me inappropriate looks and cat calls, dropping files on the floor just to see me bend over n pick’em up. Asking me to jump out of a cake in shirtless French cuffs outfit on their birthday. Men need to be respected in society. Don’t get me started about thonging on Seven Mile my behind does not want to be pinched or spanked.
Very true Bruce. My girlfriend harasses me daily and I’m tired of it. This law can’t come into effect soon enough!
They intentionally delayed this