Sexual Harassment Bill to provide maximum protection to victims : Sherry Rehman

ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): The Federal Minister for Women Development Ms Sherry Rehman chaired a consultation meeting with government officials and the members of the civil society to finalise the draft of the ‘Protection from Harassment Act 2008’. “Harassment at workplace is a very sensitive matter. Any legislation seeking to deal with the issue must incorporate the element of safety as well as ensure maximum assurance of justice to the victim,” said the Women Development Minister talking to the media after the meeting in Islamabad.

Ms Sherry Rehman pointed out that the purpose of her Ministry’s continued consultation with the Civil Society Organisation over the Bill is to ensure that the draft law is clear in its content and there is no room for any lapses to fail its objectives. “We have broadened the ambit of law, extending it to cover harassment against both women and men. Harassment is a common phenomenon at work, and men could be as much of a target as women are.”

The Federal Information Minister said that her stress on the protection factor in the legislation comes from her own experience of dealing with women who have been victims of gender harassment at workplace. “A woman finds her career as well as her reputation at stake when she takes an offence to sexual harassment. We want the legislation to provide maximum security to the complainant to encourage her/him to pursue the case at an official level. The victim must have an expanded range of choices in terms of authorities dealing with the complaint. We have therefore included an ‘Inquiry Commission’ as well as an Ombudsperson to ensure that there is an internal as well as an external setup to address the grievance.”

Ms Rehman said that the meeting also deliberated the finer details of the draft Bill. “There was extensive consultation on the language and the broader text of the draft Act. This is the first proposed legislation against sexual harassment, and we felt it was important to present the law in a manner that it reinforces the constitutional provisions of right to security and dignity to every citizen. Our constitution is very clear on all matters pertaining to human rights, including right to work and gender discrimination. Laws guided by constitutional principles can not only guarantee protection of rights, but also ensure the supremacy of the constitution.”

The Women Development Minister thanked the members of the civil society for their continued support to the government’s efforts for gender justice.

“We want to establish an environment where the government and civil society work with each other, and not ‘at’ each other, as the practice has been. Our government stands for human rights protection, supremacy of the constitution and a just society. We would continue to work in tandem with the civil society for our objectives, since there is an opportunity for our legislative and policy efforts to be strengthened by the civil society’s capacity for mass contacts and awareness-raising.”