ICPC Seeks NGO’s Collaboration In Addressing Workplace Sexual Harassment

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called for the support of  HEIR Women Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation, to  tackle workplace sexual harassment.
Team leader, Constituency Project Tracking Group at the ICPC, Mr Akibu Garba, made the call during a one-day workshop  on “Career Barriers and Workplace Sexual Harassment Against Young Women in Nigeria”.
The workshop was  organised by HEIR Women Development with the support of Ford Foundation recently in Abuja.
“The ICPC regards sexual harassment as a corrupt practice. There is need for victims to know their rights, as well as how to seek justice to put an end to the menace.
“The commission’s sexual harassment policy signed by our Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye has zero tolerance for any form of sexual harassment in ICPC offices nationwide,” he said.
Garba said the commission’s policy on sexual harassment, clearly spells out disciplinary actions that should be melted out on perpetrators of such acts.
“The conversation about sexual harassment is apt, we have so many investigations and recommendations on how to address the menace in our  handbook on sexual harassment.
“We have a process where we make new staff go through it, sexual harassment is becoming worrisome based on its high rate, we are collaborating with agencies and NGO’s towards curbing it.
“We regard sexual harassment as corrupt practice and encourage victims to know their rights and how to seek justice when they experienced such social ill.
“We would like to collaborate with HEIR Women Development in this advocacy because this act has to be completely eradicated,” he said.
In the same vein, the Desk Officer, FCT Sexual and Gender Based Violence  (SGBV) Response Team, Ngozi Ike, expressed concerns over the alarming rate of sexual harassment particularly on women.
She regretted that most citizens do not understand what it means to sexually harass a woman.
“It happens everywhere in our society today and this comes with unwelcomed comments from the opposite sex, as well as the same sex.
“Some people do not understand what it means to sexually harass a woman. That is why we need  advocacy. It is a crime under the sexual assault in the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act,” she stressed.
Ike however lauded the move by HEIR Women Development in curbing the crime, saying that more advocacy is needed in this direction.
She recommended the need for every organisaion to have sexual harassment policies as a requirement which an employees must pass through before they start work in any organisaion.
She added that the move would discourage the act, and would make perpetrators to face the wrath of the law if they are found guilty in such act.