Sexual Harassment

In addition to random information on the things wrong with the wonderful island of Jamaica, this blog will promote a more positive side to things and look at the issues facing Women locally and internationally.

First on the agenda: Sexual Harassment

Most Jamaican women and quite a few men have been sexually harassed. Surprisingly, not many Jamaicans know what exactly sexual harassment is. By nature, we are a very "touchy-feeley" society and most everyday social interactions actions are not sexual harassment. What the public is concerned with now is the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Fact of the matter is, most men don't think there is anything wrong with pictures of half naked women in their cubicles, sending pornographic material in e-mails or being just a little too physical with a co-worker.

I feel that the best way for men Jamaican men to understand sexual harassment is to consider the following:

How would you like it if one day a woman came into the office and put up a picture of a man sitting at his computer working... nothing wrong with that right?

Behind this man however are two huge gorgeous male Adonis' buck naked holding their erect members.

Offended yet gentlemen?

You really didn’t ask to see that did you? Bet you'd find it pretty offensive too. Probably did not want that AT ALL.

The official definition of Sexual Harassment is "unwelcome sexual advance, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonable interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment"

Simply put; if its sexual, and it makes you uncomfortable i.e. you don't consent to it, its sexual harassment. Key words here are UNWANTED and UNWELCOME

Sadly in Jamaica, there are no laws against sexual harassment. It's up to individual companies to provide their own polices to regulate employees.

The good news is that a policy has been drafted !

That’s right, sexual harassment is going to be illegal (thank whoever you pray to) and will be made legislation by next year.

So be careful what you say to the co-workers okay?

Gentlemen, make sure that the feelings are mutual before you cross a line that might land you in some trouble very soon.

That goes for you too ladies, this goes both ways.