- He urged the government to enforce existing laws and regulations that protect employees from sexual harassment
Image: BBC
The Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) has welcomed the move by the government to investigate allegations of sexual violence in tea firms.
This follows an exposé by BBC Africa of how women in tea firms are sexually assaulted.
In the documentary, female employees of two tea plantations allege they were subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse by the aforementioned companies' supervisors and managers.
The IHRM Executive Director Quresha Abdullahi in a statement on Thursday said demanded that action is taken against those found culpable.
She urged the government to enforce existing laws and regulations that protect employees from sexual harassment and ensure that those who commit such acts are held accountable for their actions.
Abdullahi said the Employment Act requires that all employers take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and to investigate and take corrective action if harassment occurs.
“Sexual harassment is a serious violation of human rights that should not be tolerated in any workplace,” she said.
“All employees and job seekers have the right to work in an environment that is free from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination,” she added.
The official called on all employers to take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment in their organizations and to create a safe and respectful working environment for all employees.
This, she said, includes providing education and training to employees on what constitutes sexual harassment and how to report it, as well as establishing clear policies and procedures for addressing complaints of harassment.
This follows an announcement by the Ministry of Labour that it had begun investigations into alleged claims of sexual harassment by the two tea firms.
The Labour and Skills Development PS Geoffrey Kaituko in a statement on Thursday said the ministry is engaging all the parties involved which include the workers, trade unions and employers in an effort to get to the bottom of the matter.
On Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji ordered immediate investigations into the same matter.