Gender Platform demands law against harassment ( NEW AGE Bangladesh )

Gender Platform holds a news conference at National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday over sexual harassment at workplace. — New Age photoGender Platform, a coalition of six non-government and labour organisations, at a press conference on Saturday demanded enactment of a law against sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions.

The platform members — Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, Bangladesh Labour Foundation, Awaj Foundation, Karmajibi Nari, and IndustriAll Bangladesh Council jointly organised the press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka, said a press release.

Ainun Nahar, coordinator of the platform, in her written statement said that sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions has increased recently at an alarming rate.

She said that until forming separate law, the 2009 directives of the High Court against sexual harassment should be followed where formation of anti-harassment committee was mandatory.

She also urged the government to ratify ILO Convention 190 titled ‘Elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work,’ soon.
Women rights activists Fawzia Karim Firoze, ZM Kamrul Anam, Nazma Akter and Nazma Yesmin, among others, were present.