Topic: Workplace Sexual Harassment
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate Name: Hava Szarafinski
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Ethiopia position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
Women in nations all over the world work to provide for themselves and their family. It is crucial for women to be able to get jobs to earn money. Sadly, these women are also targets for sexual harassment at their workplace. It is in every country, not one is immune to these offences, yet some do nothing to prevent this from happening. Ethiopia is an African country with a population of over 100 million people, over half being women. For decades, our nation has been working to further the rights of women in hopes of achieving gender equality. Within the past year, we have elected our first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, which shows the progress we have made with the standing of women in our nation. Despite our progress, we still struggle to protect women in our country from cruelty such as sexual harassment in the workplace. Many women in Ethiopia have joined the Yellow Movement, created to change culture of sexual harassment, which emphasizes the need for us to address this problem. We need to take actions against the harassment faced by our female citizens. Questions that need to be addresses about this subject include the following: What preventive actions can be placed to decrease these offences against women in the future? How do we encourage, and protect women to come forward? Ethiopia believes we need to educate the younger generation on the cruelty of sexual harassment and the harsh effects it has on its victims. We believe behavioral change in the younger demographic will be the most effective long term solution. Our nation also strongly encourages to creation of support systems for victims, and adapting a more serious attitude when presented with allegations of sexual harassment. An effective resolution would include the education of younger generations on sexual harassment, and creation of a support system for victims. This committee provides a platform to help further the safety and security of women within their countries. No longer do we idly stand by and let women get taken advantage of and let them suffer alone, now we need to support victims and prosecute perpetrators. Ethiopia is looking forward to discussion on this topic in committee, in hopes of creating a positive solution.
