A risque joke, a suggestive text message, a naughty email. Any
one of these could end up landing an amorous male in east China's
Zhejiang Province in court if the object of his affections takes
offence.
The Zhejiang provincial legislative body on Thursday passed an
amendment to its implementation of the country's law to protect
women's rights, stipulating that, from September 1, a woman can
file a sexual harassment lawsuit against a man if he oversteps the
line in conversation or during online chat or via text message.
Those who are found guilty of sexual harassment of women will be
punished by public security departments or even held criminally
responsible, according to the new regulation.
The law also states, "Women who feel they are being sexually
harassed can report their cases to their employers, public security
departments or women federations who should take measures to stop
the harassment."
"In recent years, the cases of sending pornographic text
messages and pictures via cell phones or the Internet are on rise,"
said Deng Weixia, a law official with the provincial people's
congress.
"Thus the legislature has added the new forms of sexual
harassment into the amendment in addition to the traditional form
of physical contact," Deng said.
But law experts say there are still difficulties in implementing
the law as evidence for sexual harassment is difficult to
collect.
"Except for long and frequent sexual harassment, it is
impossible for the victims to always have video cameras or
recorders on their person, which poses problems for future
lawsuits," said lawyer Luo Zhonghong.
China first stipulated the prohibition of sexual harassment of
women in its women's rights protection law on December 1, 2005.
Experts argue the law lacks specific details in the definition of
sexual harassment.
(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2007)