Sexual Harassment

An examination of the legislative issues dealing with sexual harassment conduct with a view to providing legislative solutions.

Following upon the Report of the Special Advisory Committee on Gender Violence in 2008, the then Cabinet issued a directive in December, 2008 that the issue of gender violence should be examined by a committee established by the Portfolio of Legal Affairs in consultation with the then Ministry of Health and Human Services. It was instructed that the examination should fall within the parameters of the LRC and address interpersonal and gender-based violence issues such as sexual harassment.

In our research we will examine the legislative issues that touch and concern sexual harassment conduct in the Cayman Islands and provide appropriate legislative solutions. Sexual harassment is one of the most common forms of violation of a person’s body and dignity, yet it is the least exposed. While there has been no standard definition of sexual harassment it is universally agreed that it is unwanted and unwelcome sexual conduct which often leads to a hostile and intimidating environment. The fact that sexual harassment complaints are seldom made within the Cayman context is most likely due to the absence of complaint avenues and mechanism for redress as opposed to the view of some that it does not occur.