The Grenada Spotlight Initiative advises that people need to feel safe wherever they are and to have the protection of the law from sexual predators.
It cites sexual harassment as a serious issue and the fact that it can blight lives, it needs action.
The Grenada Spotlight Initiative is seen as comprehensive national programme contributing to ending family violence and all forms of violence against women and girls.
It speaks of making sexual harassment unlawful and an immediate priority, as part of sweeping legal reforms.
REPORT:
The Grenada Spotlight Initiative says significant developments are in the pipeline and Spotlight is helping to spearhead change.
It says legislation to the effect is before the Government for consideration, which resonates with a model
CARICOM legislation on sexual harassment.
Under the Grenada Spotlight Initiative, the legal team of drafters and stakeholders are considering recommendations reviewing the Draft Model Sexual Harassment Bill.
Efforts are being made specifically to prohibit sexual harassment at the workplace, schools and educational settings and provide adequate complaint mechanisms and protections from reprisals.
It’s also designed to criminally prohibit non-employment-related sexual harassment.
Activities in this regard follow earlier work by the Grenada National Organization of Women (GNOW) submitting its commissioned draft Sexual Harassment Bill, commissioned for government review.
The GNOW draft defines sexual harassment as: “the unwanted or unwelcome physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature or based on sex, offensive to the person being harassed.”
Elsewhere in the region, the Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago have all taken steps to make sexual harassment a criminal offence.
