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The Citizen reports that according to legal researcher Lee-Anne Germanos of the Helen Suzman Foundation, major employers are failing to police sexual harassment at work because they apply a flawed understanding of its very nature.
In a series of legal briefs, Germanos has examined the roots of society’s ineptitude at policing sexual crimes by looking at how it is dealt with in the criminal justice system as well as in the workplace. Her criticism is that there is not enough context and understanding on sexual harassment in the workplace. Referring to an investigation by panel of inquiry appointed by Equal Education (EE) to investigate a series of sexual crime allegations, Germanos notes the legalistic approach adopted by the panellists who produced the majority report. “The anonymity of the victims was used as the sole ground for dismissing their complaints. One criticism of this approach is that it displays a misunderstanding of the nature of sexual harassment and the power dynamics which invariably accompany it,” Germanos pointed out. She further noted that sexual violence has been historically viewed as a crime of passion and lust rather than an act of violence and lamented the subjective manner in which society has dealt with sexual offences, where the onus of proof has been on the victim.
- Read the full original of Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni’s report in the above regard at The Citizen
- Read Lee-Anne Germanos’ legal brief on sexual harassment in the workplace at HSF Briefs
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page