Lawyers hope harassment probe to expose women’s workplace struggles

The lawyer for the complainant in the sexual harassment probe against Judge President Selby Mbenenge hopes that the process will take cognisance of the violence women experience in the workplace.

This is because the Tribunal tasked with the probe started its work in Johannesburg on Monday. This is the first time that the fact-finding body will formally investigate allegations of this nature.

The allegations against Mbenenge sparked the formation of a sexual harassment policy for the judiciary.

Women’s Legal Centre Lead Attorney for the complainant, Chriscy Blouws explains the significance of the matter:

“Women experience this violence in multiple ways and are affected physically, emotionally, psychologically and also affected in the workplace and so our hope for the outcome of this tribunal process and the way it is dealt with is that it is cognisant of that lived experience that women experience when they do encounter violence, both in the workplace and in their personal lives and that it takes cognisance of that lived experience to determine its outcome and be mindful of many other women who may want to come forward with similar complaints.”

VIDEO: Judicial Tribunal probing allegations of sexual harassment against a Judge President to start today