FEMALE "youth MPs" in the guise the government and opposition on June 9 unanimously called for a tough new law to prohibit and punish the sexual exploitation of women in jobs and other situations, abuses collectively known as sextortion.
The event was held in the Red House chamber by the group, Women Parliamentarians of TT, under its Young Women Empowered to Serve (YES) Leadership programme.
Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George was present to congratulate participants afterwards. On the chamber floor to view proceedings were Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde and Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde. In the public gallery sat Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadbsy-Dolly, Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye and former parliamentarians Hazel Manning, Ramona Ramdial, Sophia Chote, Carolyn Seeperad-Bachan, Tina Gronlund-Nunez, Christine Sahadeo and Joan Yuille-Williams.
Renee Atwell, as opposition leader, moved the motion, lamenting sextortion as the abuse of power to get a sexual benefit.
The motion said sextortion deprived women of jobs; promotions; and access to public utilities, social services, and financial and social opportunities, if refusing to render sexual favours. Sextortion can inflict tremendous psychological harm on victims who were coerced to give sexual favours for a benefit.
Saying anti-corruption laws do not cover sextortion and Trinidad and Tobago has no laws against sexual harassment/sextortion, the motion said, "Be it resolved that legislation be introduced within 12 months to make sextortion a criminal offence."
Atwell cited Transparency International to reveal one in five citizens in the region and 19 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago have either experienced sextortion or knew someone who has.
[caption id="attachment_1095382" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The sitting of Young Women Empowered to Serve (YES) mentorship programme at the Red House, Port of Spain, on July 9. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
She said, "Sextortion is an everyday reality of women and girls."
She lamented a "cultural normalisation" of this abuse, and alleged the government had failed to put measures in places to protect Trinidad and Tobago's females.
Atwell asked aloud how many more women and girls must endure sextortion, or have their careers derailed and lives destroyed.
"We are calling on the government to make sextortion a criminal offence within 12 months."
She lamented that an immigration officer has a list of criteria to issue visas for migrants but might instead request sex. "That is what we are saying is prevalent in TT."
Atwell called for a sextortion law by saying sexual abuse is now prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act and corruption under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
"But sextortion combines these two elements (sexual abuse and corruption).
"That is why we are calling on the government to implement a unique kind of legislation, a stand alone legislation, to deal with this issue."
While sextortion does not only affect women and girls, it disproportionately affects females
