he hand book ‘Know Your Rights’ compiled with the aim of raising awareness about the prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace was launched in Parliament yesterday (29) under the patronage of Speaker Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
The handbook was prepared by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender. This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and supported by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The book was presented to Speaker Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena by Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Hon. Thalatha Athukorala, Chairperson of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender, Core Vice – Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathne and Secretary General of Parliament Mrs. Kushani Rohanadira.
Addressing the gathering, the chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, Hon. Dr. Sudarshanee Fernandopulle, said that although measures have been taken against verbal and physical abuses faced by women and girls, there is reluctance to take action on sexual abuses. Therefore, the chairperson pointed out that it is important for women to be aware of the steps to be taken in such a situation.
Hon. Thalatha Athukorala, Chairperson of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women and Gender, pointed out that a formal system should be set up to inform the responsible institutions confidentially, including the Caucus, regarding sexual harassment in offices. She also said that since this can be mentioned as one of the main initiatives of the campaign against Gender-Based Violence, the support of all doner agencies is expected to continue this step.
This manual also contains information on how to respond to sexual harassment faced by women at the workplace as well as the contact details of the relevant parties to file a complaint.
The book launch was organized in line with the international initiative ‘16 Days of Activism’ that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
State Minister Hon. Piyal Nishantha, Members of Parliament Hon. Rauf Hakeem, Hon. Mayantha Dissanayake, Hon. Kokila Gunawardena, Hon. Rajika Wickramasinghe, Hon. Manjula Dissanayake and Hon. Mudita Prashanthi were present on this occasion. Also, Mrs. Yamuna Perera, Secretary to the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, Mr. Asoka Obeysekera, the Country Director of NDI and several officials were also present on this occasion.
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