Judges, registrars and labour and employers representatives from a number of regional jurisdictions have gathered in Barbados to discuss a range of issues relating to gender equality in the workplace.
The five-day workshop which is being held at the Hilton Barbados and organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), started on Monday.
Issues being looked at include unfair dismissal, paternity leave, HIV and the workplace and sexual harassment.
Director of gender equality and diversity branch at the ILO Jane Hodges suggested that though a number of employees may be experiencing gender inequality enough cases were perhaps not being taken to the courts.
“We have had decades of training courses, seminars and exchanges but we still have gender inequality. Why is there not a more vital and massive improvement? Well, sometimes one hopes that people would just bring a few more cases to courts,” she said.
“We will have a moment to think, during the next four and a half days, about why there are no massive numbers of cases when the newspapers are full of examples or purported examples of inequalities based on the sex of the worker . . . . What is it? Is it fear of retaliation, is it fear of the cost, is it fear of the [long] procedures?” said Hodges.
Highlighting the importance of the court in dealing with gender equality issues, she told the jurists present it was vital to continue to upgrade their knowledge on gender equality.
In his remarks, president of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Dennis Byron said “some cases do come before the courts and it is important that when the opportunity arises that the court addresses them properly”.
The sub-regional gender equality workshop seeks to provide professionals of Caribbean courts with knowledge that will enable them to better use international labour laws to enhance gender equality when delivering labour justice at a national level. (MM)
