Category: Seychelles

Seychelles should consider passing legislation to protect women from sexual harassment in their workplace, as well as adopt criminal or civil penalties for such conduct, a World Bank index suggests.

The World Bank’s annual study called ‘Women, Business and the Law 2022’ assesses laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunities in different countries.

With a total score of 76.3 out of 100, Seychelles came out second in the ranking, behind Mauritius, in Sub-Saharan Africa. Having scored 100 points on the ‘Marriage’ indicator, Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, only scored 50 points for the “Workplace’ indicator — the lowest score Seychelles got among 8 indicators, mainly due to the lack of laws to protect women from sexual harassment.

The study also highlights other factors that need improvement such as “laws affecting women’s decisions to work, laws affecting women’s pay, laws affecting women’s work after having children, constraints on women starting and running a business, gender differences in property and inheritance, and laws affecting the size of a woman’s pension.”

Member of the National Assembly to bring motion on sexual harassment

Elected member for Glacis in the National Assembly, Regina Esparon, who also chairs the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, told SNA that she will be bringing forward a motion on the subject.

Esparon said that physical and sexual harassment in the workplace is a reality that needs to be addressed and that current employment laws in the country do not address the matter.

Although the law prohibits gender-based discrimination in employment, the island nation does not have legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace. Seychelles also lacks criminal penalties or civil remedies for sexual harassment at work.

“When a person is sexually harassed there are no governing policies to guide them on what to do exactly. At the moment, people who are harassed in the workplace might go to the police, social services, or put a case before the employment ministry. The ministry, however, says that such matters are not in their mandates. We need to amend the law where there is a need to do so,” said Esparon.

The Public Service Orders (PSO), which set out the responsibilities, ethics and conduct of government officials, is an example of legislation that Esparon would like to see amended to cover harassment of all forms in employment.

She said that the motion is intended to spark a debate in the National Assembly in which other members from both sides give their input and help outline the best way forward.

SNA contacted the Ministry of Employment but did not get an immediate comment on the index.

Conservation team members on Fregate, the easternmost granitic inner island of Seychelles, are conducting their yearly task to count the number of giant tortoises on the island.

Fregate is home to the second biggest giant tortoise population in the world – after the Aldabra atoll – a UNESCO World Heritage site where about 100,000 Aldabra giant tortoise species thrive. For this reason, the team sees that it is important to get as close as possible to understanding the actual number of the Fregate population. Following the census of 2021, the population was estimated to stand between 2,000 to 2,500 tortoises.

Anna Zora, the deputy conservation manager on the island, told SNA that it is important to keep track of the population, as well as to know the health of the tortoises.

“Anybody with a little bit of training can join the conservation team in the census, in fact, many staff members get involved in it. We also had guests involved. We give a little kit to the people interested and then they can collect the data for us,” said Zora.

Once the tortoise census on Fregate kicks off, the whole conservation team and others involved, go around the island looking for tortoises. The team prepares a map of the island which is divided into nine zones to better understand the migration of tortoises and how they are spread out on the island.

Once one is spotted, the tortoise is marked with a blue dot on its carapace.

“We use paint that lasts for some time so that we have no problem with the mark being erased,” said Zora.

The tortoises are then measured and checked to see if it is a male or a female. At the time of the interview, the number of male and female tortoises was the same.

When marking a tortoise, the team members also take into account the location in which the animal was found, marking it on the map. So far, the team has observed regular movements of tortoises around the island, with the fruiting seasons and rainy and dry weather being potential reasons behind the movements.

Zora outlined that the team does its best to ensure all tortoises on the island are counted and accounted for.

“There will be one stage in the census when we will encounter only marked tortoises during our visits. By the end of the census, we will be able to have a good enough idea on the numbers of tortoises we have on the island,” she explained.

It usually takes the team four months to complete the census.

Cryptocurrency, jewellery, art and the casino business are popular ways to launder money, said World Bank consultants at a four-day workshop in Seychelles for Supreme Court judges and the legal research team.

A press statement from the Judiciary said that the workshop, which was organised by the Central Bank of Seychelles in collaboration with the World Bank, focused on Seychelles’ laws on corruption, evidence and procedure applicable to trials for corruption offences.

The training from April 11-14 was led by Sir Anthony Hooper, former Lord Justice of the High Court of England and Wales, and Jeanne Hauch, a technical specialist, both consultants with the World Bank.

Participants received an overview of the national fight against corruption and the World Bank consultants highlighted that one of the main ways people launder money today is through cryptocurrency, although this is new to many regulatory bodies and that they should become more acquainted with this.

“Criminals move quickly, while bureaucracy moves very slowly,” said Hauch when explaining the importance for institutions to remain up to date on current criminal practices.

She said that other popular forms of money laundering continue to be purchasing expensive jewellery and art – which can be undervalued by the unknowing and inexperienced eye. Money laundering through the casino business is also popular.

In his opening statement, Chief Justice Rony Govinden stressed the importance of remaining up to date on current practices by those who evade the law, so judges may understand cases that come before them in court.

A senior market conduct analyst for the Central Bank, Beggita Vital, said that the training is part of the Anti-Money Laundering and Financing Terrorism Technical Assistance Programme.

One of the important components of the workshop is the unique role of the Judiciary in the process of criminal and civil asset recovery. National legislation and international conventions were examined along with tools that can be used to prevent dishonest people from evading the obligation to disclose and surrender the proceeds of corrupt conduct.

“This process also enables the participants of the workshop to consider amendments that could be made to their national laws, including regulations, laws of evidence, and rules of criminal procedure in order to improve asset recovery,” said the press statement.

The law on anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism activities in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, has existed since 2006.

To ensure compliance with international norms, in March last year, amendments were made to six laws after the approval of the National Assembly. These are the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act; the Extradition Act; the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act; the Beneficial Ownership Act; the International Trust Act; and the Prevention of Terrorism Act.