Sexual Harassment at Workplace: Hard to eradicate but can be prevented, speakers say
Labour rights activists at a roundtable yesterday called for a social movement against sexual harassment and assault on women, and urged men to be at its frontline.
They also said women should be aware of their rights and urged the government to formulate strict law for prevention of all forms of sexual harassment at workplace and educational institutions.
Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), a non-government organisation working on labour rights, organised the discussion on the necessity of law to prevent sexual harassment. The event was held at The Daily Star Centre in the capital.
Speaking at the event, BLF Chairman Abdus Salam Khan said sexual harassment is rampant around the world, and Bangladesh is no exception.
“It is hard to eradicate violence against women from a patriarchal society like ours, but it can be prevented. To do so, women have to be aware while men should change their mindset,” he said.
“Colonial attitude like master-servant relationship still remains in our society, which has to change immediately,” added Salam, a noted labour rights activist.
Urging the government to formulate a strict act in this regard, he said sexual harassment at workplace cannot be prevented if the authority does not come forward.
Lawmaker Shirin Akhter said women face harassment at every stage of their lives -- from home to streets to workplace -- which needs to stop.
Formulation of the law will not be enough unless it is implemented properly. Besides, a social movement is also needed to resist the widespread harassment, and men should be in the frontline of the movement, she added.
Mostafizur Rahman, joint inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments; ZM Kamrul Anam, secretary general of BLF; Kelly Fay Rodríguez, deputy country director of Solidarity Center Bangladesh; and Farhtheeba Khan, a team leader of SNV Netherlands in Bangladesh, also spoke at the programme, among others.
Comments