Ama Lawson
The General Manager, Human Resources and Administration for Media General Limited, Ama Lawson, has called for policies to address issues about sexual harassment at workplaces.
With the ‘Stop Street Harassment 2018 Report’ indicating that 31 per cent of people sexually assaulted feel anxious or depressed, the subject needs a critical attention, especially when 38 per cent of women have experienced sexual debacle at their places of work.
She was speaking during a roundtable discussion on sexual harassment at workplaces held at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in Accra yesterday.
She added that “there is also a medical challenge associated with this harassment”.
Such policies, when put in place, she went on, should be clearly defined and well communicated to ensure confidentiality of victims.
“Because sometimes when persons get courageous to report, they tend to be victimised,” she added.
Ms. Lawson said the issue of sexual harassment is critical and different because it affects the individual in terms of their career and standard of living, leading to low productivity.
The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, Kathleen Addy, said they organised roundtable discussion because; sexual harassment is very delicate and quite pervasive.
“But it is something that is under reported since they feel there is no way it can be resolved amicably, and they can equally be victimised,” she stated.
She further said that most institutions have the policies that address these issues, but a lot of staff do not know about the existence of such policies.
She added that one of the objectives of the roundtable is to bring the issue to the fore, for institutions to intensify education on workplace sexual harassment.
By Hudda Bala Abdul Manan