Abe pledges zero tolerance on sexual harassment

Jun 13, 2018 | News On Japan

Jun 13, 2018 (Japan Today) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged zero tolerance on sexual harassment, ordering senior officials to undergo training to prevent abuse after a scandal involving a top government bureaucrat.

"Sexual harassment is a clear violation of human rights. It must never be tolerated," Shinzo Abe told a panel of ministers.

"We ask each one of the ministers to implement this emergency measure in a swift manner," he said, referring to a new policy that will require senior bureaucrats to undergo anti-sexual harassment training.

The training will be tied to promotion for bureaucrats in a bid to ensure the success of the effort.

The initiative comes after a senior finance ministry official was forced to resign following allegations he sexually harassed female reporters.

He denied the allegations, but a ministry probe found them credible and docked his retirement pay.

The finance ministry came under fire for its handling of the allegations, with Finance Minister Taro Aso initially appearing to dismiss them, and the ministry then asking women to come forward publicly with details of their experiences.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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