The Sunday Mail
The Public Service Engagement Forum
IN the context of transforming the Public Sector and creating a productive and enabling working environment that is safe, equitable and diverse, the Public Service Commission is working towards making all public service workplaces — those of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies — free from sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse. To this end, following the drafting of the sexual harassment policy, the Commission will in the coming weeks carry out a baseline survey within the public service to assess employees’ knowledge and attitudes towards sexual harassment in the workplace.
This baseline survey, which is scheduled to be rolled out at the end of July after a pilot run, will be used as part of a broader consultative process towards the finalisation of the Public Service Sexual Harassment Policy, within the broader context of national policy.
The development of the Public Service Sexual Harassment Policy is being supported financially and technically by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Spotlight Initiative, which works to eliminate violence against women and girls, and the International Labour Organisation. A consultant has been engaged to help carry out the survey.
Background to the initiative
Sexual harassment in the Zimbabwe Public Service is an issue which the PSC has been dealing with and continues to work towards addressing, with clear and direct intervention in terms of regulations, procedures and strategies to eliminate the problem.
The Commission’s observation is that sexual harassment might be prevalent at work stations but most victims might be reluctant to report such cases for a number of reasons. It is possible that such victims fear retaliation, feel they might not be believed, feel they could be accused of having loose morals in both the work and family contexts, and that nothing will be done to the perpetrator if they report.
One of the shortcomings with the regulations is that generally a complaint of sexual harassment must be made to a member in a position of authority (Head of Office or Head of Department), who may be the actual perpetrator. Another weakness is that there is no built-in procedure for disputes to be settled initially by means of conciliation, if the nature of the complaint suggests that route. No specific penalties for perpetrators of sexual harassment are stipulated in the current regulations.
Working definition of
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual conduct towards another person which could reasonably be expected to make the other person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It includes situations where a person is asked to engage in sexual activity as a condition of that person’s employment, transfer, regrading or promotion, as well as situations which create a hostile, intimidating or humiliating environment. The victims of sexual harassment can be men or women, or persons of the same gender as the perpetrator. Sexual harassment can occur at all levels, irrespective of the member’s status.
One of the guiding principles as the Commission strengthens the regulations is that a single incident is enough to be considered as sexual harassment; it does not have to be a repeated behaviour. The person who engages in unwelcome behaviour does not have to intend to be sexually harassing the other person for the behaviour to be considered sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined by the nature and the impact of the behaviour, not the intention behind it.
Sexual harassment can involve one or more incidents and this may be physical, verbal and non-verbal. Examples of conduct or behaviour which constitutes sexual harassment which the draft policy isolates include:
Physical conduct
l Unwelcome physical contact including patting, pinching, stroking, kissing, hugging, fondling, or inappropriate touching;
l Physical violence, including sexual assault, indecent assault or rape; and
l Stalking.
Verbal conduct
l Comments on a worker’s physical appearance, age and sex life;
l Sexual comments, sexual stories and sexual jokes;
l Unwelcome sexual advances;
l Repeated and unwanted invitations for dates or physical intimacy;
l Insults based on the sex/gender of the worker;
l Condescending or paternalistic remarks;
l Sending sexually explicit messages (by phone or by email);
l The use of job-related threats or rewards to solicit sexual favours; and
l Swearing or using inappropriate language
Non-verbal conduct
l Display of sexually explicit or suggestive material e.g. photographs, reading matter or objects;
l Offensive screen savers;
l Sexually-suggestive gestures;
l Whistling;
l Leering; and
l Indecent exposure
Policy statement
In order to address the sexual harassment problem in the workplace, the Sexual Harassment Policy sets out the legal responsibilities and obligations of members in the Public Service in compliance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment No. 20, 2013; Public Service Act, Chapter 16:04; Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 9:21; Public Service Regulations, 2000; Circulars and Procedures. Sexual harassment at workplaces is an unacceptable form of behaviour which will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The PSC is committed to providing safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces which are free from sexual harassment. Any employee’s behaviour that fits the definition of sexual harassment represents a form of misconduct, which results in disciplinary action being taken, with such serious consequences as dismissal.
Scope of the Policy
The Public Service Sexual Harassment Policy applies to the following: i) All members of the civil service, whether employed on permanent or on contract basis; and ii) all clients or members of the public encountered during the course of duty and any persons with whom civil service employees interact personally, by telephone or by other electronic means. It will also apply to iii) all applicants for employment in the civil service; and iv) members of staff associations while discharging their responsibilities.
Rolling out the baseline survey
Technical expertise from a selected consultant will support the PSC by conducting the survey using a mobile survey platform. This has been necessitated by Covid-19 travel restrictions which have made face-to-face data collection impossible. The consultant will make voice calls to selected participants and administer a questionnaire. The questionnaire is intended to assess employees’ knowledge and attitudes towards sexual harassment in the workplace. A pilot survey will be completed before the full roll-out of the survey at the end of July 2021, following which data will be analysed and findings finalised. A sample of 5 000 randomly selected respondents has been identified. Participants will have the option to answer survey questions in Shona, Ndebele or English. The survey is expected to feed into the finalisation of the Public Service Sexual Harassment Policy.
This is part of a series of articles by the Public Service Commission aimed at engaging with and updating the public on matters of public interest that fall within its mandate. For comments, enquiries and questions, please write to [email protected]. For more on the PSC and its programmes, visit www.psc.gov.zw or follow on Facebook Zimbabwe Public Service Commission or Twitter @Public Service Commission Zimbabwe
