Protect females against sexual assault at work
Any person in a position of authority, or one holding a public office, who persistently makes sexual advances or requests which he or she knows, or has reasonable grounds to know, are unwelcome is guilty of the offence of sexual harassment.
What you need to know:
- Many victims of sexual harassment sweep such ordeals under the carpet and soldier on despite the gaping wounds.
- One’s telling on their boss comes with a price tag and this scares many women.
A video posted on social media showing a young female police officer decrying unfair treatment and sexual harassment at the workplace recently went viral. The six-minute clip captured her grief. Her face revealed a disgruntled woman. Her voice reverberated with sadness. Her body showed a woman ready to chicken out of her job. She was visibly disillusioned.
According to the Sexual Offences Act 2006, any person in a position of authority, or one holding a public office, who persistently makes sexual advances or requests which he or she knows, or has reasonable grounds to know, are unwelcome is guilty of the offence of sexual harassment and liable to imprisonment of at least three years or a minimum fine of Sh100,000 shillings or both.
The Act elaborates that a worker is harassed sexually if the employer or its representative or co-worker (directly or indirectly) requests for any form of sexual favour to get preferential treatment at workplace or threatens the worker of detrimental treatment on present or future employment status.
Sexually molested
Is the law lacking in its implementation or victims are buoyed by intimidation? This is just one case in a sea of many where female workers are sexually molested by their bosses. Sadly, for fear of reprisal, such as loss of their job, many victims sweep such ordeals under the carpet and soldier on despite the gaping wounds. One’s telling on their boss comes with a price tag and this scares many women. Bosses are held in high esteem and revered like gods.
This reminds men of a case in Mombasa where women working in a quarry had to “impress” their bosses to secure a job the following day. Many women gave in but one blew the whistle.
Women have been at the receiving end of men’s lust since time memorial. Jobs have been pegged on sexual favours, promotions dangled on a sexual platform — the list goes on ad libitum. But what is worrying is that few report these cases, making it hard to take action.
Mr Onyango is a high school teacher. [email protected].
