Gender sensitisation course for dept heads
KUALA LUMPUR: Heads of government departments will need to undergo a gender sensitisation course as part of efforts to tackle sexual discrimination and harassment.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said tackling workplace harassment must go beyond enacting laws.
“The issue of gender equality and sexual harassment cannot only be tackled with specific acts or laws.
“What is more important is that there is a sustained campaign to raise awareness on the different roles and needs of men and women, on discrimination and sexual harassment without taking into account position or education.
“We have to start with all heads of departments of ministries.
“They have to undergo a gender sensitisation course.”
Yeoh was answering an additional question from Maria Chin Abdullah (Pakatan Harapan-Petaling Jaya) over steps taken by the ministry to ensure its officials were more sensitive when approaching the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Maria was referring to a recent article in The Star, where it claimed that a top Health Ministry official had not been sensitive when dealing with the issue of alleged sexual harassment of female housemen in a government hospital.
The article had quoted Deputy Health director-general Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar demanding that a police report be shown over the matter.
Previously, the English daily had published a story on a case where a hospital department head had allegedly sexually harassed female junior doctors.
Yeoh said undergoing the course was vital to ensure department heads understood the predicament faced by victims, among others.
“There is no need for a police report to initiate investigations (into the issue),” she said.
“I am shocked by the news and hope that all ministries will take heed of complaints from public servants,” she said.
“The government must face the problem head-on and not be in denial or sweep it under the carpet.”
Maria’s additional question was in the context of her main question regarding steps taken by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to improve existing laws and introduce new legislations to ensure gender equality and curb sexual harassment.
To the main question, Yeoh said the ministry would conduct a study on the need to enact a specific anti-sexual harassment law by getting feedback from society, among others.
She said applications for allocations to fund the study had been forwarded to the Economic Planning Unit and awaiting its approval.