No Kosovo Government official is going to say “very nice you're looking at”, otherwise you get suspended from work

If you tell your colleague or colleague at work place “You're looking pretty good at” with a provocative look, or if you tell them “what you're eating is that you're made of xix” you're getting suspended from your workplace. These comments or questions occur almost every day in the state administration of Kosovo, but which are unacceptable from now on to Government.

Two days ago, the government adopted a document called “Politics against sexual harassment in the public administration bodies of the Republic of Kosovo”.

Although the government has not cited concrete examples that cannot be said within the working environment, it has set up several punitive terms.

Through this document, the Government is aiming that all employees in public administration bodies should have correct treatment and, according to the law, therefore no direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation will be allowed.

With these policies, the government is aiming to protect gender equality and equal treatment.

News.net saw this document, which is divided into nine articles.

In order to implement this policy, the government has also put some explanatory terms in this document, under which it is punishable.

According to this document, sexual harassment It means whatever form of unwanted verbal behavior, not verbal or physical behavior of sexual nature and/or psychological nature, with purposes or consequence or touch of one's dignity, and the creation of a frightening, hostile, degrading, derogatory or insulting environment. Sexual harassment in the workplace refers to it, but does not limit it to specific forms with this policy:

Quid Pro Qua (this for him) referring to any direct or indirect promise of preferential/ harmful treatment in employment, where refusing to perform sexual favours can cause no employment, no promotion, no pay raise, no payment.

Hostile Environment The creation of a frightening or humiliating environment that can be manifested through abusive sexual language that can make workers feel like being helped humiliated and discriminated against.

verbal harassment It involves but is not limited to comments, jokes, provocative questions, sexual remarks, insulting expressions, humiliating epithets, derogatory forms, or other verbal abuses.

No verbal attacks They include but are not limited to provocative gestures with movement and provocative touch of various parts of its body.

Visual harassment- It is not limited to advertising, photos, and pornographic signs, drawings or sexual comments on one's dress, adornment, or body.

Psychological harassment- It is not limited to the invitation to physical sexual intimacy, the pressure to accept social invitations, private dating, questions, or discussions about sexual activities, the invitation to physical sexual intimacy. Research and insistence on blackmail and sexual favor followed by visible threats or conditioning regarding the workplace, unwanted social invitations with sexual overtones often displayed as filtering. The indirect requests for sexual purposes, the unfair performance of someone's work, or the unfair evaluation of someone's work, denial of training or promotion.

Physical harassment These include physical effort, bites, kisses, touch clothes, petting, and friction of the other person's body.

According to the government, harassment that has caused offense is considered even when it is unintentional.

Who can be the victim of sexual harassment?

According to the government document, sexual harassment can happen to all, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. “However, virtually affected by sexual harassment are mostly women and girls”.

Victims can also be of the same or opposite gender. The victim may not only be the molested person, but anyone who is affected by offensive and provocative behavior. The molester can be the supervisor/or the victim's; colleague, employee. E/i of public administration or third party”

The person who is harassed, as defined in this policy, by another person in the workplace or in workplace activities, needs to show his leader/the leader directly, the leaders/highest if the direct leader is the bully or personal manager.

The government has also seen it launch information campaigns regarding these policies that provided for preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.

On the other hand, the ombudsman last year has accepted several complaints of sexual harassment in his workplace.