THIS IS A MAN’S WORLD
CARMEL RICKARD: Liberty's sexual harassment shame
Two recent cases show how women are still being blamed, instead of supported, when they are victims of sexual assault
Do you want to know why we need International Women’s Day and why we still bother with March 8? Consider these two well-timed law stories. On March 9, Robin Camp resigned as a judge. In 2014 this SA lawyer, who emigrated to Canada where he was later elevated to a seat on the federal judiciary, had asked a rape complainant why she couldn’t “just keep her knees together”. His comments prompted a 15-month investigation by the Canadian Judicial Council and on March 9 the council announced its conclusion: Camp’s conduct so undermined public confidence that his removal was “warranted”. Within hours, Camp quit. Though it is extremely unlikely that any local judge would make such remarks, you have to wonder about the views of SA companies. Are they serious when it comes to fighting sexual harassment in the workplace? Not even significant court-ordered penalties under the Employment Equity Act (EEA) seem to have convinced employers of their obligations. Ineffective response Latest to join th...
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