Saudi Gazette report ABHA — In recent years, sexual harassment of women has become a serious problem, whether at the workplace or in public areas. This issue requires a deterrent law, derived from the Shariah and labor regulations. Many developed countries have introduced and enforced such laws, providing a certain measure of safety for women. The Social Affairs Committee of the Shoura Council, in cooperation with religious and social scholars, had been studying the matter and was in the final process. However, the Ministry of Social Affairs has submitted a proposal for the protection of all those under male guardianship to the council. It was decided to merge the two proposals into an encompassing one. It classifies penalties, beginning with a caution, financial penalties, flogging, and imprisonment. However, these proposals need to be streamlined into clear legislation, and enforced throughout the land. Nadi Siraj, a social specialist, said sexual harassment cases have increased lately, and such a law can reassure women. Many women are hesitant to report harassment, due to possible social embarrassment. This only encourages repetition of these behaviors in the absence of a deterrent law. Mohammad Al-Waheeb, faculty member of King Saud University, said such a law should be fully implemented everywhere. A partial implementation of the law would mean a delay in the handout of penalties, he added. Islam has provided guidelines for such a law, and “we need to transform these guidelines into regulations,” Al-Waheeb said. He pointed out that the security bodies and the courts are flooded with cases with no clear guidelines on how to deal with the issue. This law will relieve government bodies of such confusion. Al-Waheeb added that the young men are harassing women, and the law should deal with the cases according to age. Dr. Khalid Jalban, head of the family medicine department at King Khalid University in Abha, concurs. He said Islam did not marginalize women, and allowed them to support themselves. The harassment law, he said, should be classified, and encompasses all types of harassment.
