Sexual harassment is rife in workplaces and in public and it’s important for women to know that they can report these incidents instead of remaining quiet about it say the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

Coordinator Shamima Ali says Sexual harassment is experienced on a daily basis by women from all walks of life; however they may not be aware of it.

She says all women need to know exactly what sexual harassment is in order to report it to the relevant authorities.

‘Sexual harassment is any offensive behaviour often of a sexual nature to someone who does not like, who finds it offensive, who has never invited it, who feels uncomfortable about it. It’s not about a compliment, a compliment is given, we say thank you and we move on but when it becomes a bit more than a compliment and it becomes constant and insistent and so on and when it makes the other person feel very uncomfortable that is sexual harassment’’.

Forty two cases of sexual harassment were reported to the centre for the January to July period of this year.