Independent Senator: I was victim of sexual harassment

INDEPENDENT Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye has revealed that she was once a victim of sexual harassment.

Speaking last week in the Senate, she made the revelation as she urged Government to finally act to fulfil 40 years of promised legislation to outlaw sexual harrassment.

Attorney General Faris-Al-Rawi in reply hailed Thompson-Ahye's work in rights advocacy, promised to act and even invited her to join his efforts.

In the late hours of Tuesday night as the Senate sat to debate the THA Bill, the senator moved a motion on the adjournment, sharing her own experience of unwanted attention by a police officer on duty.

"I was a second-year law student, home for Christmas and using the Industrial Court library, housed then in Trinidad House. As I was leaving, a burly police officer walked ahead of me, supposedly to press the elevator button and touched me inappropriately. I challenged him and he got hostile."

She had complained to a senior person.

"The officer denied my allegation, but guilt was written all over him. He was told to apologise, and said, 'If I do it, I sorry.' The official called me aside and said, 'Hazel, he is a fool. But if you pursue this complaint, he will lose his gratuity and pension. I do not care about him, but I know he has a wife and children. They will suffer. I am begging you to leave it there.' Out of respect for the official, an old family friend, I agreed."

Thompson-Ahye began her speech by alternating between perpetrator and victim of sexual harassment.

“When Kitchener sang Mount Olive, and Iwer George sang Bottom in the Road, they were singing on you, girl. You look good, coming and going. You want to sing in my tent? You want me promote your kaiso on the radio? What I getting for that, eh sexy? One hand can’t clap,” she said as she mimicked an abuser.

“If you want to make partner in this law firm, the seniors have to check you out, assess your competence. I coming by you tonight, eh.”

Switching to that of a victim, the senator said, "Those photographs with these naked women in all kinds of sexually explicit poses make me uncomfortable. I wish the manager would remove them.”

She said the essence of sexual harassment is that it is unwelcome.

"It may be verbal, sexual comments, jokes, flirtations, unwanted invitations, name calling, demands for sexual favours, quid pro quo; physical such as unwelcome touching, hugging, fondling, groping, stroking, kissing, patting, pinching, brushing against someone; non-verbal could be sooting, sexually aggressive gestures, stalking, leering and it could be written/graphic such as sexual e-mails, letters, messages, texts, emojis, memes, display of explicit photographs and pornographic materials."

It was not about affection, flirtation, or romance, but power and society’s attitude to women as sexual objects, with some men also harassed. Thompson-Ahye said Government’s commitment to protecting TT's women and girls from sexual harassment was an empty promise, but its saving grace could be seen if it legislates with alacrity to provide protection against sexual harassment.