Dear Editor,
Help & Shelter writes in support of the calls for action to be taken against Minister of Local Government & Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall for his appalling comments made to a fellow parliamentarian at a recent sitting of Parliament.
We are of the view that Minister Dharamlall’s words amount to sexual harassment, which is legally defined as, inter alia, unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated and/or intimidated. Regrettably, sexual harassment is at present limited to the workplace (we understand that amendment to the relevant legislation is on the government’s legislative agenda) but Parliament is the workplace for parliamentarians. There is little doubt that the words were meant to humiliate, offend and intimidate the woman parliamentarian to whom they were directed.
Not only the Speaker of the House but the PPP/C must sanction in no uncertain terms this sexually abusive behaviour. It is not enough for nice speeches and pledges to be made: action consistent with words to protect against sexual and gender-based violence must be taken and applied to all. The Speaker must not allow a workplace culture or the normalization of sexual harassment to occur in the highest decision making forum of the people of Guyana without appropriate disciplinary action being taken. The Speaker and all parliamentarians must take personal and collective responsibility to ensure that discriminatory and sexist practices, language, behaviour are outlawed and severely penalized.
The root causes of sexual and gender-based violence are the subordination of women, inequality, inequitable gender norms, negative gender socialization, rape culture, normalization of violence and abuse in all its forms and male privilege. As long as there are double standards when it comes to how sexual harassment, sexual & domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence are treated in Guyana, increasing violence against women, girls, boys, LGBTQI people and men will continue.
We call on the Parliament of Guyana and the Speaker of Parliament to take a stand in relation to sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual abuse and violence in the House and for appropriate penalties to be imposed on Minister Dharamlall for his outrageous conduct.
We are also concerned that the actions and behaviour of many other parliamentarians are not in keeping with the standards to be expected of those sitting in our legislature.
Yours faithfully,
Danuta Radzik
Josephine Whitehead
Linda Hustler
Pamela Nauth
For Help & Shelter
