“Such cases of sexual harassment are typical of the subcultural environment of universities. I also used to study at the Music Academy and we girls were no stranger to such things. Now there is another generation that does not want to put up with it,” says Rudīte Losāne.
According to the chaplain, the rector of the Music Academy, Guntars Prānis, should resign or address this issue very seriously: “Let the responsible officials decide whether to keep his position, but I am glad that he has his own position.”
There are accusations in society that such situations are normalized and tolerated in Latvia. Losane believes that this is exactly the reason why sexual harassment still happens: “Today, young girls have grown up who don’t think it’s normal. Women have grown up with self-respect, with a correct understanding of identity. Young women do not agree with the view that a woman is subordinate to a man. She will not allow some depraved man to use her number for various sexual touches.”
In 2019, the chaplain at the “European Person of the Year in Latvia” ceremony said that everything is not right with the attitude towards women in our society. Five years later, she points out that the attitude towards women has changed in society, but the situation in churches is still bad: “The church is a patriarchal environment in which the construct of women has been created. Even in Latvian churches, women are not allowed to speak freely.”
The Minister of Justice, Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, this week proposed criminal liability for sexual harassment, thus allowing victims of violence to receive the necessary support and protection. Losane points out that there is no need to be afraid of the law if it is not violated: “Sexual harassment should be criminalized. The law is needed to ensure order.”
Tags: Lausanne Sexual harassment criminalized
