Tough new rules to crack down on sexual harassment at work are in the pipeline.

Walton Brown, the Minister of Home Affairs, said yesterday that he wanted to introduce new labour laws to combat the problem.

Mr Brown is to bring London-based feminist Minna Salami to Bermuda to kick-start a debate on harassment and the importance of sensitive handling of sexual orientation in the workplace.

Mr Brown said: “Employees need to be given the tools to decipher what harassment looks like and the confidence to report it. Likewise, employers and employees need to be educated on what is acceptable and what will not be tolerated within the workplace.

“Ms Salami is more than suited to conduct these vital talks as her knowledge of the main issues, concepts and theories concerning sexual harassment and sexual orientation is in-depth and to the highest standard.

Ms Salami, a Nigerian-Finnish writer, blogger and speaker, is the founder of the feminist blog, MsAfropolitan.

She has spoken at Yale University, TEDx, the Oxford Union and on the BBC, Channel 4, TV Ontario, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Swedish TV station SVT.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has invited government officials, trade union leaders, business leaders and human rights groups to talks next week on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Men in Power and Sensitivity Towards Sexual Orientation Within the Workplace.

The event will finish with a public forum next Thursday at CedarBridge Academy, with Ms Salami as guest speaker.

The public meeting will be held at the Kalmar Richards conference room next Thursday at 5.30pm.