SHouting against harassment

Extracted from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/11/nation/9468528&sec=nation

Sunday September 11, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: The call for laws against sexual harassment is set to grow louder with the formation of Sexual Harassment Out (SHout).
Consisting of 11 non-governmental organisations, the joint committee is also fighting for gender equality.

SHout secretary Betty Yeoh said the Act was needed to protect men and women in the workplace and public areas.

“We need to eliminate all forms of discrimination,” she said yesterday during a press conference to launch SHout.

Yeoh added that Malaysia did not have specific laws against sexual harassment and gender inequality and there was an urgent need to initiate such laws.

SHout is revisiting a campaign that was started 10 years go by the Joint Action Women's Group (JAG).
JAG had then submitted a draft of the sexual harassment bill to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

Yeoh claimed that since 2001, there had been no significant move by the Federal Government to initiate a specific law against sexual harassment.
She said a move for specific laws was included in the Economic Transformation Plan in 2011 to leverage on working women.

Among the groups that are part of the committee are All Women's Action Society, Association of Women Lawyers, the Bar Council Human Rights committee, Malaysian Women Tourist Guides Association and PT Foundation.

Association of Women Lawyers member S. Prema said that currently, sexual harassment was not a crime under the Penal Code.

SHout chairman Ho Yock Lin said it was firm on the stand that a specific law was needed against sexual harassment either at federal or state level.
SHout has also launched an open contest to the public to create a logo to reflect the campaign.

Entries must be submitted before Sept 30.

The winner would receive cash vouchers worth RM250.