At the sitting of the Joint Select Committee for the Sexual Harassment Bill, Jamaicans for Justice delivered copies of the open letter, which had amassed 2738 signatures from individuals and organisations as at 1pm on July 2, 2020, to the parliamentary clerk of the Committee for consideration.
On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, We, at Jamaicans for Justice, issued a call to members of the general public and civil society organizations to sign an open letter to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament reviewing the Sexual Harassment Bill. This was in response to public outcry regarding the proposed 12-month limitation period on complaints related to sexual harassment.
This united front suggests that there is a growing population of persons invested in seeing good laws that provide meaningful justice to those who need it the most. “It is remarkable that in under 72 hours, 2738 persons and organizations have been moved to take direct action. Already, lawmakers have signaled an intention to revise this provision.
People have spoken and we are confident that lawmakers will seriously consider their voices. The Committee has requested that Jamaicans for Justice prepare a submission on the Bill and we will be submitting detailed solutions to this and other issues within the Bill. This will go beyond just the 12-month limit and propose balanced solutions to several issues,” said Rodje Malcolm, Executive Director.
Click to download the full PDF of the signed letter. The 2738 signatures have been arranged in alphabetical order for ease of posting to social media. Please feel free to scroll through and share the page with your name on it. We would love to see it on your page!
Please continue to share the Open Letter with your network, as we seek as many signatures as possible.
Next Steps for JFJ: Advocating for sexual harassment survivors
The Parliamentary Committee has requested that Jamaicans for Justice prepare a formal submission on the Sexual Harassment Bill . We await a date to make this in-person presentation, and will keep you abreast as the time draws nearer.
Our submission will include detailed recommendations on the statute of limitations on reporting and several other sections of the Bill, and propose balanced solutions to a range of issues.
Additionally, we will be launching a comprehensive programme at JFJ to tackle sexual harassment and support victims, including:
- free support services to victims;
- free legal services for those seeking justice;
- free sexual harassment prevention training;
- online legal literacy sessions; and
- further law reform advocacy
If you would like to receive periodic updates on our campaign against sexual harassment, or if you would like to join our movement, reach out [email protected] to stay informed of this issue and others that may arise.
Justice, Truth, Be Ours, Forever.