KUALA LUMPUR: Heads of government departments will need to undergo Gender Sensitisation Course, as part of an effort to tackle sexual discrimination and harassment in their units.
Deputy Women, Community and Family Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said this was because tackling harassment issue in workplace must go beyond enacting laws.
“The issue of gender equality and sexual harassment cannot be tackled with only 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 all ministries, they have to undergo Gender Sensitisation Course,” she said.
Yeoh was answering an additional question from Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya) over steps taken by the ministry to ensure ministry officials are more sensitive when approaching issues of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Maria was referring to a recent article on The Star, where it was 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 Gender Sensitisation Course was vital to ensure department heads understood the predicament faced by sexual harassment victims, among others.
“There is no need for a police report to initiate investigation (into the issue).
“I am shocked by the news and hope that all ministries will take heed of complaints from public servants.
“The government must face the problem head-on and not be in a denial state or sweep it under the carpet,” she said.
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 laws to ensure gender equality and curb sexual harassment.
To the main question, Yeoh said the ministry will conduct a study on the need to enact a specific anti-sexual harassment law by getting feedback from society, among others.
She said application for allocation to fund the study had been forwarded to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) on March 3, and awaiting its approval.
On gender equality, Yeoh said the ministry had conducted ongoing consultation with stakeholders over proposed content and structure of a proposed Gender Equality Act.
She added that the feedback would be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers as part of the process towards enacting the Act.