EQUAL Opportunity Commission (EOC) director (legal services) Haran Ramkaransingh says there needs to be a proper definition of gender when it comes to dealing with equality in the workplace.
He spoke during a virtual meeting held by the Parliament's Human Rights, Equality and Diversity Committee on January 9.
Tunapuna MP Esmond Forde asked whether there was a differentiation when it came to sex and gender in relation to matters in the workplace.
He said some of the available literature on the subject is not clear about this.
Forde added there should be clarity in this matter when it comes to addressing matters faced by men and women on the job.
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Ramkaransingh agreed with Forde.
He said sex is based purely on the biological difference between men and women.
The EOC, Ramkaransingh continued, has received sexual discrimination complaints from people who claim to have been mistreated because they are men or women.
He said sometimes when the commission receives sexual discrimination complaints, the complainants raise other concerns which may be based on gender as opposed to sex, as defined in the biological senses.
Ramkaransingh added the definition of gender can be expanded to include "sexual tendencies and preferences."
He used the example of shirts being identified as masculine attire and blouses as feminine.
Ramkaransingh said there is no conclusive evidence that either is the case.
He added the definition of gender differs from one society to another and there could be backlashes if such matters are not handled properly.
Ramkaransingh said the conventional definition of sex "does not include sexual orientation or sexual preference."
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Shelly-Ann Hart, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) (Gender and Child Affairs Division), Gender Affairs director said in some African countries, women took part in activities such as hunting for food for their families.
In contrast, she said, that role was handled by men in countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Hart said the division understands the importance of properly defining gender and is seeking a consultation with relevant stakeholders on it.
She added this will help to properly address matters related to gender or sex in the workplace.
Committee chairman Dr Mohammed Yunus Ibrahim asked Ramkaransingh about sexual discrimination complaints made by men against women in the workplace.
Ramkaransingh acknowledged the commission has received such complaints from time to time. He said the EOC had done public education sessions in the past with different entities about sexual discrimination in the workplace.
Ramkaransingh added there have been some challenges with holding these types of sessions in recent times because of staffing shortages.
Ibrahim said information provided by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) showed that in 2016, men had a wage gap of 27 per cent over women in state enterprises.
He added from 2020-2022, that situation was reversed, with women having a three per cent wage gap over men.
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Labour Ministry labour market specialist Justin Joseph told the committee there could be different reasons for this.
He said one could be male-dominated entities having higher wages for male employees, while the opposite is true for female-dominated entities.
Joseph added in the public service, the majority of permanent secretaries in government ministries are women.
Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) assistant general secretary Trevor Johnson said many collective bargaining agreements which its member unions negotiate with different entities are not clear when it comes to issues of sex and gender.
He added JTUM as a group does not deal with complaints of this nature.
Johnson said JTUM's member unions address complaints by their members as they see fit.
TT Coalition of Service Industries (TTCSI) president Dianne Joseph told the committee TTCSI did a survey last year among it members about differences in wages between male and female workers. She said because of certain challenges, only 13 TTCSI members contributed, but she was confident a future survey would get more participation and a clearer picture.
Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne said issues such as maternity leave and women being able to work from home should be explored as part of a conversation on equality in the workplace.
Ibrahim said the objective of the committee was to find ways to achieve equality in the workplace, in the public and private sectors, for all workers, regardless of their individual circumstances.
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