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Make sexual harassment a crime, say NGOs
KUALA LUMPUR: Sexual harassment must be made a criminal offence to address the rising number of occurrences in the country, 11 NGOs said Saturday.
As sexual harassment was not a crime in the Penal Code, employers could choose implement an ethical code against it or not, said Association of Women lawyers member S. Prema at a press conference at the launch of a joint committee consisting 11 NGOs in Petaling Jaya.
The committee SH-out (Sexual Harassment out) is revisiting a campaign started 10 years go by the Joint Action Women's Group (JAG) against violence.
SH-out's secretary, Betty Yeoh said the committee was urging the government, again, to enact a specific law against sexual harassment for gender equality as proposed by JAG in 2001.
JAG had submitted a draft of the sexual harassment bill to the ministry of Women, Family and Community Development then.
The committee includes All Women's Action society (AWAM), Association of women's lawyers, Bar Council Human Rights committee, Malaysian women tourist guides association and PT foundation.
“It must be stressed that since 2001, no significant moves have been made by the Federal government to initiate a specific law against sexual harassment. Only in 2011, was a move for a specific law included in the Economic Transformation Plan for working women,” said Yeoh.
SHout's chairman, Ho Yock Lin said there was a need to build awareness on sexual harassment at all levels of society to ensure that the public felt protected.
As such it has launched a contest, open to the public, for a logo to reflect its campaign against sexual harassment.
Entries must be submitted before Sept 30 and only one winner will be selected and will receive cash vouchers worth RM250.
SUMMARY
NGO's set sexual harassment is a crime to address the increasing rate of crime in this country. Secretary SH-outs (sexual harassment out) Betty Yeoh has urged the government to enact a specific law on sexual
KUALA LUMPUR: Sexual harassment must be made a criminal offence to address the rising number of occurrences in the country, 11 NGOs said Saturday.
As sexual harassment was not a crime in the Penal Code, employers could choose implement an ethical code against it or not, said Association of Women lawyers member S. Prema at a press conference at the launch of a joint committee consisting 11 NGOs in Petaling Jaya.
The committee SH-out (Sexual Harassment out) is revisiting a campaign started 10 years go by the Joint Action Women's Group (JAG) against violence.
SH-out's secretary, Betty Yeoh said the committee was urging the government, again, to enact a specific law against sexual harassment for gender equality as proposed by JAG in 2001.
JAG had submitted a draft of the sexual harassment bill to the ministry of Women, Family and Community Development then.
The committee includes All Women's Action society (AWAM), Association of women's lawyers, Bar Council Human Rights committee, Malaysian women tourist guides association and PT foundation.
“It must be stressed that since 2001, no significant moves have been made by the Federal government to initiate a specific law against sexual harassment. Only in 2011, was a move for a specific law included in the Economic Transformation Plan for working women,” said Yeoh.
SHout's chairman, Ho Yock Lin said there was a need to build awareness on sexual harassment at all levels of society to ensure that the public felt protected.
As such it has launched a contest, open to the public, for a logo to reflect its campaign against sexual harassment.
Entries must be submitted before Sept 30 and only one winner will be selected and will receive cash vouchers worth RM250.
SUMMARY
NGO's set sexual harassment is a crime to address the increasing rate of crime in this country. Secretary SH-outs (sexual harassment out) Betty Yeoh has urged the government to enact a specific law on sexual