Kingston, 9 July 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has tabled a Bill entitled ‘An Act to Make provision for the prevention of sexual harassment and for connected matters.’
The Minister tabled the Bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (today).
Minister Grange said the Bill is intended “to protect women and men whose quality of life is affected by intimidating, hostile, or offensive environments caused by unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and crude sexual behaviours.”
The Bill includes proposals for dealing with Sexual Harassment in the work place, schools, correctional institutions, places of safety, nursing homes, medical and psychiatric facilities, among other places.
According to the Minister, the Bill proposes to “ensure an environment free of sexual harassment as well as mechanisms to deal with the very serious crime.”
The Bill is to be referred to a Joint Select Committee shortly.
Minister Grange said she anticipates the Bill going through the parliamentary process as quickly as possible as “there are several women and men who urgently need the protections that the Bill is designed to provide.”
END