CPC Calls For Review Of Laws On Sexual Harassment At Workplace

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has called for a review on laws that prohibit sexual harrasment at workplaces, stating the menace has continued as perpetrators escape justice over the years.

Bunmi Olugasa, Project Officer and Special Assistant to the Chairman, ICPC, stated this in Abuja when HEIR Women Hub, a women and girls based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) paid an advocacy visit to the commission, as part of its strategies to nip the menace  in the bud.

Olugasa noted that the ICPC act prohibits the use of the office for sexual agrandaisement, explaining that this remains an offense punishable before the law and an abuse not only on the victim but on the office which the person manages.

"There are several gaps in the law, yes societies are dynamic but our society makes it easy for perpetrators to escape justice.

"The clamour should be on the review of the laws but unfortunately we have learnt over time that when you improve the law, criminals also look for ways to beat the law and thereby beating justice.

"The ICPC act clearly stated that anybody who uses his office to confer any kind of corrupt advantage for himself for benefit is guilty of an offence.

"What they consider as gratification in this instead is sexual favour, yes it is a corruption, in as far as there is an abuse of office. 

"When using the position of office to intimidate somebody, making the environment unconducive such that the person is forced to submit to your request is an abuse of power and the law states clearly that it is an offence," she warned.

She expressed worry that many Nigerians are ignorant of some crimes and so take it as a norm, adding that sexual harrasment offense has been watered down because society rather sees it as way of appraisal when in actuality it can impede productivity.

"In our society, we take many things as norms and a normal thing when it is not suppose to be.

"A lot of things that actually amount as harrassment have been taken for granted. 

"Instances where a boss continually hits the bottom of a female staff, most do not see this as harrassment, and these things we realise are very uncomfortable and some times impedes on ones productivity and this needs to be addressed.

"Currently we have an investigation ongoing and if we see reasons we may prosecute," she said.

Earlier, Assistant Director, Public Enlightenment and Mass Mobilisation Department, National Orientation Agency,  Esther Akor, expressed that victimization is a major result of Sexual Harassment which should be addressed by the Human Resource department in organisations, spelling out  risks involved in speaking out. 

"Many ladies have lost their jobs in private organisations from speaking out while others face other challenges in the public sector.

"Therefore, enforcers should be put in place to seek redress in case of any of these."

She pointed out that speaking out is the major thing for victims to do as they can get help, adding that agencies like the labour union have a part to play as stakeholders in curbing the menace.

The Executive Director of HEIR Women Hub Añuli Aniebo Ola-Olaniyi, while explaining the aim of the advocacy visit, said the outcome of sexual harrassment at workplaces is traumatic event, a corrupt practice and wickedness.

She regretted that there are no existing data on workplace sexual harrassment unlike recent data on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) which is also widely published.

"We just feel we need our own data in Nigeria as most times we use the global data from UN but we seek to know how it affects us here in our climate Nigeria to enable the proffering long lasting solutions with the aim of totally eradicating this from our society," she said.

"Having had conversations with women who are thinking that it is normalised, I am like no, this should not be.

"Out of a thousand survey respondents and 60 face to face, what we find more challenging is to recount their stories as most of them lost their jobs in the process.

"It became very important to take this data and not just leave them at that," she added.