Female workers urged to stand strong against sexual harassment at work places

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

Women under their Umbrella WOMA (Women in Media Association) in partnership with CCEME have urged the female journalists and professionals to be confident and fight against evil sexual abuse in their working places and outside their places of work.  That most girls are mostly  convinced and are put into sexual activities over jobs and other privileges.

While addressing the journalists during a press briefing at Acacia Hotel in Mbarara on Tuesday, July 2,  2024, Praise Rukundo, Legal and Protection Officer at WOMA said that most junior female workers face sexual harassment by their superiors and during the time when they are in the fields.  This blame was put on their  bosses who lack generosity, some take advantage of someone’s application for a job and ask for sex.

This issue was raised by one Cosline Nakayira Agasaro a journalist who works with one of the Media outlets in the country and a member in WOMA. She revealed that most young fellow female workers face the challenge of sexual abuse which is commonly faced in their sources and at the work places

She further noted that a few female internship students make it in the field.

” I have walked that game and I know the story, most of the people who work within our work place and offices entirely, especially the bosses, want to sleep with them and they later  drop them. And because some of our young sisters are not sensitized they don’t know the tricks that are there. Most of them are used and dumped, then later they go out there cursing their careers but there are successful women who have achieved because of their courage and focus,” said Nakayira.

She also appealed to the owners of the companies and the bosses of the departments to also empower female workers by giving them higher and sensitive positions as part of  gender balance so that they can motivate the rest of those who would love to work in that particular company.

” If you look at the prominent talk shows we have on broadcasting stations in the country we only have male journalists doing that, we do not have a big number of female journalists in those positions, why, because we are looked at as a gender that cannot do all that, we are underrated to some positions but as WOMA we want to make sure that such voices are being heard,” she added.

Rukundo appealed to the female workers, especially the female journalists, to be courageous and have the right to say no to sex once they are asked for it by their superiors.

“I want to tell you that the women and girls who have started working,  that we have young or little girls who are coming up that need to be sensitized and learn to say no. It’s not mandatory that each man that will approach you and ask you for sex on promises for a job and you just open your legs for him. Keep your respect as a woman. I want to encourage all the women in this field that once you are victimised be able to report the case to the police, if the police fails you can go to court and seek for fair justice. You can also reach us as WOMA and you report to us your case, we shall look for the better way on how we can go about your case as long as there is evidence,” said Rukundo

According to Rukundo, WOMA has been in existence for a few years but it is committed to ensuring that there is promotion of  freedom of expression through guaranteeing the safety and security of journalists, media workers and Human Rights Defenders in Uganda. They also mobilize grassroots  for women human rights defenders in Uganda to promote freedom of assembly, association and expression.