KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The European Union Friday welcomed the decision by Jamaica to table legislation aimed at improving the treatment of women in the society, especially the workplace.
The EU Ambassador to Jamaica, Malgorzata Wasilewska, told a luncheon here that the recent tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill signals the island’s seriousness in dealing with the situation.
Gender Affairs Minister Olivia Grange tabled the Sexual Harassment Bill earlier this month that is expected to go before a joint-select committee of Parliament where the public will have a chance to contribute.
The EU diplomat said together with the passage of the Disabilities Act and the recent review of laws which aims to protect vulnerable populations including women and those with disabilities, the island was moving in the right direction.
“We know there is still much further to go but there have been important signs of progress which must be acknowledged,” Wasilewska told the luncheon hosted by UN Women and the gender and disability affairs committee of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ).
She said that the World Economic Forum had found that women with disabilities experience a threefold daily challenge, including being a woman, as well as being disabled.
PSOJ president, Howard Mitchell, said local businesses have to confront situations where unqualified men are being hired over qualified women.
“If you believe in your cause, you have to make some noise,” Mitchell said, acknowledging that the PSOJ also has work to do.
Over 15 percent of the population or more than 500,000 persons were identified as disabled in the last census in Jamaica in 2011.
The EU is co-financing the “Win-Win: Gender Equality Means Good Business” being implemented in Jamaica and other Latin American states. It is being led by UN Women and the International Labor Organization and aims at promoting gender equality in the private sector.
