UNDP commends Jamaica for action on a Sexual Harassment Bill

December 17, 2020

Denise E Antonio, UNDP Resident Representative

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Denise E Antonio has commended the government of Jamaica for its unwavering commitment to finalizing the legislative process concerning the long-awaited Sexual Harassment Act

“On behalf of the United Nations agencies implementing Spotlight Initiative Jamaica, I commend the government of Jamaica for this bold step in the right direction,” she stated in opening remarks delivered at a roundtable discussion dubbed “When Sexual Harassment happens- all you need to know” staged under the auspices of the European Union-funded Spotlight Initiative.

 Acknowledging the collaborative function civil society plays, she urged all Jamaicans to play their part by raising awareness of the issues and being vigilant when the Act is passed. “We must remain invested in ensuring Jamaica passes the best possible fit for purpose legislation. Let’s keep talking and sharing until then. For too many women, and men too, workplaces and roadways are battle zones. Sexual Harassment imposes a personal, professional and mental cost on victims and a reputational and productive cost on organizations. Many suffer in silence fearing loss of jobs, perceiving that there is insufficient recourse in workplace policy and law,” she pointed out.

In outlining UNDP’s commitment to eliminating instances of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse Ms. Antonio said UNDP is currently implementing an eight-week internal campaign in order to strengthen understanding detection and reporting of sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation.

She shared seven takeaways from the UNDP’s global Sexual Harassment Policy including a 24-hour reporting hotline, options to apply for protection from retaliation, and an investigative process removed from the field offices. She said as Jamaica’s Sexual Harassment Bill proposes mandatory policies for workplace and state institutions   UNDP welcomed the opportunity to share further insights from its policy with interested organizations. Let us keep the exchanges flowing,” she stated.

Spotlight Initiative coordinator in Jamaica, Novia Mckay emphasized that the spread of COVID-19 had given rise to a ‘shadow epidemic’ of violence, with women in households increasingly being subjected to domestic abuse.

“I think we are all clear that violence against women and girls is a problem. If you watch the news both internationally and locally, you will see that we have had some truly heinous and horrific crimes against our women and our girls. From violence to murder and we have actually seen that increasing as a result of COVID-19”, she shared.

 She said Spotlight Initiative was established at an opportune time just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic which positioned the programme to deal with the increasing incidences of violence against women and girls. ““Spotlight is actually the single largest effort coalescing for this issue”, she explained, noting that the programme serves 25 countries worldwide.  

The Sexual Harassment event, first in a series of virtual roundtables exploring the legislative framework governing issues of violence against women and girls, was addressed by Georgette Grant, Legal Officer of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; Danny Roberts, Head of the Hugh Shearer Labour Studies Institute, UWI Open Campus and Kamala McWhinney, United Nations Stress Counsellor. Moderator for the event was Emprezz Golding of, Smile Jamaica Morning show and Talk Up Yout. Additional roundtables are planned for the new year.