As part of preparations for implementing a workplace sexual harassment policy, a train-the-trainer workshop for members of the protective services has been conducted here.
This week, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Crime Prevention and Persons with Disabilities announced that the development of the Sexual Harassment Policy for the Protective Services was at an advanced stage.
The policy document is a collaboration between the ministry and the Canada CARICOM Expert Deployment Mechanism (CCEDM).
With a policy framework in place, the next step was the train-the-trainer workshop on gender mainstreaming, which ended on Friday. The session was facilitated by Ginette Johnstone from Catalyst Plus, Canada.
“We are going to look at developing a complaints policy so that people who have issues can actually have somewhere to go to and to be listened to and action taken. Following that, we will probably do some training around gender sensitivity and helping people understand what the complaints procedure is about and how it works,” Johnstone said.
She added that gender equality must be a key consideration throughout the process.
According to the revised laws of Saint Lucia (2022), Section 272 on sexual harassment states: “Any act of sexual harassment against an employee committed by an employer, managerial employee or co-employee shall constitute unlawful discrimination based on sex within the meaning of Section 267 and the employee shall be entitled to compensation in accordance with this act.”
Last month, Minister for the Public Service, Labour and Gender Affairs, Virginia Albert-Poyotte spoke about a sexual harassment policy that was being developed to comply with the International Labour Convention (ILO).
“As soon as Saint Lucia ratifies the convention, we have to bring all our legislation and policy in line with what is expected from the ILO,” she told reporters.
Regarding sexual harassment allegations within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and the apparent lack of investigations, Albert-Poyotte, who previously also had responsibility for home affairs, commented: “We treat certain matters as allegations until we get the evidence. And therefore, it is necessary that when an allegation is made, then we bring forward the evidence so that action can be taken accordingly.”
