Africa-Press – Uganda. Gender Minister Betty Amongi has said many male bosses in private and public organisations are using foreign trips to corner their female staff and force them into sex.
Ms Amongi said this common form of sexual harassment is hindering promotion of gender equality practices at work places.
“… The boss has a trip abroad in UK to go and work and he has been making a pass at you, then he says, ‘let’s take a trip together.’ And you reach UK, you have not been to UK and your rooms are next to each other, strategically,” she said.
“Then now, there you start saying, ‘what do I do? This is London, I don’t know anybody,’ who are you going to report to?” she added.
The minister said at this moment, even the female staff who has been resisting past advances is cornered and gives in.
“So those are the simple things we are talking about. When you have a colleague who is working and you are a man and you have the power, this person is vulnerable. And so, you use your power to harass us sexually in a workplace and tie it to promotion, tie it to giving us trips, and so many things,” she added.
The minister was speaking in Kampala on Friday during the Gender Equality Seal Awards organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU).
Although Uganda’s legal and policy frameworks such as the Labour U2010 Employment (amendment) 201nions Act, 2006, and the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, criminalise sexual harassment, various studies have indicated that sexual harassment is widely spread and is manifested in different forms.
The minister also said the vice continues to spread because some of the victims choose to keep quiet because they need the money and the job.
At the ceremony, 40 private sector companies were awarded with the Gender Equality Seal (GES) Gold, Silver and Bronze certification for promoting investment in systems that integrate gender equality within workplaces and business strategies. Another 50 companies received recognition for undertaking steps within the GES certification.
Minister Amongi hailed the private sector companies for promoting gender equality.
“I want to thank these companies who have taken the bold step in making a Sexual Harassment Policy. If we want to engender the workplace we must focus on the private sector. For companies that have participated, I want to thank you, I want to congratulate you, and I want to encourage you to set an example for other companies,” she added.
The companies were recognised on the basis of establishing gender equality policies in the context of recruitment, non-discrimination in recruitment and promotion and giving women leadership positions.
“You have established work life balance, where women who get pregnant or have a family can balance their work life with the family. Some of you have established daycare centres. You’ve put in place sexual harassment policies, you’ve provided training opportunities for women in your companies,” she added.
Ms Elsie Attafuah, the UNDP Resident Representative, emphasised the role of Uganda’s private sector institutions in championing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace.
“Today we are celebrating the contribution of the private sector in the promotion of gender equality, women’s participation, leadership and elimination of gender-based violence in the workplace,” Ms Attafuah noted.
“This is driven through our global flagship programme – the Gender Equality Seal initiative. This initiative is demonstrating how Public-Private Partnerships can accelerate development interventions for promoting equality and empowerment of women in business strategies and operations,” she added.
Mr Humphrey Nzeyi, the PSFU Board chairperson, hailed the private companies for enrolling on the programme. She said initially, 13 companies signed up in October 2016, followed by 28 more companies in July 2018. To date, he said over 90 companies have enrolled on the programme and are at different stages of implementation.
Mr Nzeyi said these companies are from different sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, banking, tourism, education and skills, and energy.
Some of the companies recognised in the Gold Seal Awards are Kiira Motors, Desire Beauty Products, Stanbic Bank, Graphic Systems, Centenary Bank, Fireworks Advertising, NFT Consult and Nina Interiors, who were recognised in the Gold category or level one. These achieved 80% compliance to gender equality.
Others are in the Gold category are Hima Cement, Uganda Breweries and Housing Finance.
In the Silver category, which attained 70% compliance to gender equality are; Bageine and Company Ltd, Finance Trust Bank, Steel and Tube Industries, Fairway Hotel, Finding XY Limited, Association of Micro Finance Institutions of Uganda, Kyamuhunga Tea Company, National Union of Coffee Agribusiness, Uganda National Farmers Federation, Federation of Uganda Employers and Reco Industries.
Those in the Bronze category, who attained 60% compliance, include; Rwenzori International Hotel, Victorious Education Services, Uganda Small Scale Industries Association and Cell Phone Small Scale Association, K-Roma Limited and ALFASAN Limited – Bronze.
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