:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/OORGN3PKBVF65LXB3UAX5SGGHA.jpg "This is the strategy put in place by the Colombian Congress to report cases of sexual harassment")
Since the explosive statements of the former senator became known gustavo bolivarof the Historical Pact, on the alleged women trafficking ring in the Congress of the Republic, the guidelines of the corporation began to take measures to alleviate this situation. For example, recently the strategy called let’s break the silencewhich aims to make visible the cases of harassment and sexual violence within the legislature.
The initiative is led by Senator Maria Jose Pizarroalso from the Historical Pact, who is also president of the Women’s Commission, who assured that this mechanism has lawyers, psychologists and other experts to avoid, prevent and denounce the complaints that, according to the versions, have been filed since it’s been years at the National Capitol.
Breaking the Silence is part of the program that the Women’s Commission created, by order of President Gustavo Petroto determine those responsible for these events and thus provide tools to the collaborators of congress participants and other workers in the Legislative report if they are victims of any of the above behaviors.
“What we are looking for is that at the end of this task, the victims have both the degree of empowerment and the real guarantees that allow them to come, with our support, if they wish, to file a complaint with of the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the Supreme Court, or complaints before the Office of the Attorney General and the Ethics Commission”, said Pizarro, during his speech, after the return of the plenary sessions of Congress.
Likewise, the guidelines of the Senate and House they invite the victims to use the protocol that was devised to make these situations visible and thus attack it at the root. let’s break the silence “It has legal and psychosocial support to assist and guide people who voluntarily decide to make their situation known,” Pizarro’s team explained in a statement.
Moreover, within the framework of the objectives of this program – which has already begun to be implemented inside the Capitol – it is a question of eradicating the “practices patriarchal and macho normalized in institutions and in society,” said the pro-government senator, who assured that while many of these actions are not crimes, they should not occur under any scenario and Congress is not not the exception.
In this sense, María José Pizarro asked her fellow legislators not to be “indolent” and report if they know of sexual harassment. “All those who work in the Congress of the Republic have a duty to denounce,” said the deputy, who questioned the fact that, for a long time, these situations occurred under the “nose” of legislators and that nobody said anything.
In addition, Pizarro urged to stop committing “all kinds of vexations” inside the company and that is why he urged the authorities, such as the attorney general’s office, to investigate as soon as possible. According to the legislator, the evidence against alleged harassers is “energetic” there “sore”.
The senator even revealed that not only the case of John Uribewho was coordinator of Canal Congreso and was removed from his position due to accusations of sexual harassment, but that “there are several cases” where it has been shown that in different dependencies of the Congress revealed such practices.
“It’s not just one. It’s not just what Senator Jota Pe Hernández denounced. There are several cases,” said Pizarro, who gave the victims peace of mind and assured that they will accompany them in the process in case they dare to denounce.
Finally, Pizarro reminded senators and representatives that the protocols and methods to follow to report these situations already exist in their offices.