Country South Africa
Year 2011
Type of Measure Violence against women > Legislation
Form of Violence Domestic violence/Intimate partner violence, Sexual violence, Stalking

Brief Description


The Protection from Harassment Act (2011) was passed in December 2011.  It provides that sexual harassment means:

(a) unwelcome sexual attention from a person who knows or ought reasonably to know that such attention is unwelcome;
(b) unwelcome explicit or implicit behaviour, suggestions, messages or remarks of a sexual nature that have the effect of offending, intimidating or humiliating the complainant or a related person in circumstances, which a reasonable person having regard to all the circumstances would have anticipated that the complainant or related person would be offended, humiliated or intimidated;
(c) implied or expressed promise of reward for complying with a sexually oriented request; or
(d) implied or expressed threat of reprisal or actual reprisal for refusal to comply with a sexually oriented request.

Source of Information

Website of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development; Website of the Parliament of South Africa