Azura Mohd Isham
THOUGH women in Malaysia have made great strides these last few years and many hold high positions in the government and private sectors, there is still one area of great concern.
Sadly, many cases of sexual harassment against women still get swept under the carpet and in some cases, the victim is the one who gets punished.
This is evident in cases where the perpetrator is someone of high rank or position and abuses his powers to take advantage of the helpless, weaker sex.
This has been the case for many years and sadly as we celebrates International Women's Day recently, such incidents are still prevalent.
It has reached a point where some women prefer to suffer in silence knowing that they will not get justice even if they report incidents.
There is still a great lack of awareness when it comes to the area of sexual harassment and despite efforts by the government, NGOs, unions and others, there is plenty to be done.
As a former bank employee, I have personally witnessed such incidents, the latest being a case involving an employee of a bank in Perak.
I understand that banks want to protect their image and identity, but no organisation should do this at the expense of their employee.
In that case, I read that the employee who came forward to report sexual harassment by her superior was eventually dismissed and is now living in depression.
Despite efforts by the bank’s union, the victim has still not been reinstated and is facing mental distress, also due to financial issues.
This is where the law is sadly lacking. The victim is further victimised, while the perpetrator goes unpunished.
As a woman, I feel deeply saddened when I read of such cases and would like to appeal to the authorities to do what is right - even if it means penalising someone of high rank or position.
Sexual harassment must stop, and women must be treated as equals in all aspects.
At this time and age, there is no longer room for such disparity and as the nation progresses, sexual harassment must be a thing of the past.
Azura Mohd Isham is a reader of The Vibes
