A harsh light

WHEN Canada's state broadcaster fired one of its radio stars, Jian Ghomeshi, in October for allegedly hurting a woman during sex, it looked like an isolated case of celebrity misconduct. Then the focus shifted to whether the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had ignored earlier complaints of sexual harassment against him. Mr Ghomeshi insists that his sexual encounters are consensual. On November 5th the focus shifted again, to parliament. The leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau, suspended from its parliamentary caucus two MPs, with no connection to the Ghomeshi affair, after MPs from another party accused them of harassment.Although 76 of the 308 MPs in the House of Commons are women, the institution has a locker-room mentality, charges Megan Leslie, deputy leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party. It is 'a few decades behind when it comes to women in the workplace'. So, apparently, is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the national force, which faces a class-action lawsuit from more than 300 former and current female employees who allege that sexual harassment was systematic. The defence department has asked a retired Supreme Court justice to investigate sexual misconduct in the armed forces, following allegations of assaults earlier this year.These headlines shook Canada's image of itself as a country where women enjoy security...Continue reading
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