|
|
Mauritius: Equal Opportunity
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
L'Express (Port Louis)
OPINION
27 August 2007
Posted to the web 27 August 2007
Saoud BACCUS
Port Louis
The impending Equal Opportunity Bill cannot come at a better time for the government. In the face of the alleged accusations recently levelled at the country, it should show that it is serious at implementing one of the fundamentals of human rights, that of equity.
Promised during the general elections, legislation will give the Social Alliance some form of political legitimacy that it is serious about bringing some social justice to the country. We don't know yet what kind of leeway government officials will have to implement the provisions of the new law, though I suspect that any statute that does not include a social audit would end up being just a toothless tiger.
Basically an attempt to monitor companies with respect to new hires and promoting existing ones, a social audit - already practiced voluntarily by the leading textile manufacturer of the island and the existence of which was used as argument to counter charges of forced labour - can be a powerful tool to ensure that all employers abide by the articles of the law. There is no sense in pretending to have equal opportunity when it cannot be verified. Critics are bound to rise against the imposition of a social audit. It may even be linked to America's affirmative action, heralded by some, loathed by many, as a weapon to impose racial equality.
We cannot do it of our own volition, as people, independently. This, we must at least have the courage to admit. We used to believe in the powers of education. The new generation, we were told, would be more educated, and therefore more open and receptive to those with whom it does not share the same affinity. Wrong. History dispels that belief.
Therefore, waiting for mankind to keep in check its inherited or socially-acquired prejudices and treat all people equally and hire on the basis of merits will only remain an unrealised utopian ideal. Surely, we cannot regulate birth privileges but we can regulate that part, which comes under our span of control, that of bringing a sense of fairness to the civil society. Leaving it up to employers to self-regulate their filthy habits will not lead to a better and fairer society. There are too many vested or emotional interests involved. It is the government's job to counter their practices.
In that respect, the idea of legally enshrining equity by instances in charge of regulating societal conduct - be it economic, social, or both - is a welcome initiative, one that should be seen as a positive step, rather than a threat, towards adopting democratic ideals.
|
But the law alone will not do it. We need a social audit to accompany the law, something that, admirably, is already happening in this country, for it now appears that the government is about to inaugurate three new ministries, with ministerial appointments coming from each of the three main religious groups. If so, kudos to the PM for adopting - albeit politically motivated - the spirit of social auditing and equal opportunities before the Employment Equity bill becomes law.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2007 L'Express. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
