Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and Gender-Based Violence in Nunavut
The proposed project will address two main issues. First, the project will address sexual harassment in the workplace in Nunavut. Second, the project will address other forms of harassment and gender-based violence issues that are more relevant to the unique context in Nunavut. The project will do this through workshops held across the territory, through Public Legal Education Information (PLEI) campaigns, and by making accessible legal advice and information. The main objective of the project is to support the ‘elimination of gender-based violence and harassment’ in Nunavut that will include a trauma-informed approach.
Given the significant geographic challenges to providing legal information and legal services in the territory, the project aims to assist in filling this gap. It will do so by providing legal information and making available legal advice in the territory in a way that is relevant for the different communities. This means that the project will address both sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace as well as other forms of gender-based violence< that are tailored to the needs and realities of smaller communities.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is an issue in Nunavut that has garnered the attention of the territorial government which is one of the leading employers in the territory (1). However, this project also seeks to emphasize that gendered violence is a very prominent issue in the territory in the domestic sphere. Almost two-thirds of police-reported victims in Nunavut were female in 2016 which is the highest percentage among the different jurisdictions in Canada. Further, 95% of victims of sexual offences are female (2). Notably, not all communities have legal aid offices or access to other legal services. Currently, there are no legal information clinics in the Territory. As such, the objective of this project is to ensure that information and services offered to the communities will support the elimination of gender-based violence both in and outside of the workplace. The three main components of the project include workshops, PLEI campaigns, and making available legal advice and information. The project will occur in two distinct phases.
The first phase of the project will be research based. This phase will identify the various needs in communities in respect of workplace sexual harassment and gendered violence. This will allow for the identification of which workshops to host in which communities etc.
The second phase of the project will be the delivery of workshops and PLEI materials. Based on the research information, workshops and PLEI campaigns will be designed and delivered in diverse communities. It is at this point that the legal advice component of the project will be promoted.
1 Nunatsiaq News
Also see: GN’s sexual harassment policy isn’t good enough.
2 Statistics Canada