Employers have been urged to take the issue of sexual harassment seriously by Scotland’s Equalities Secretary.

Angela Constance says the perpetrators will continue to act with impunity if women don’t have faith in reporting complaints.

Speaking at the Scottish Women’s Convention (SWC) conference on sexual harassment in Glasgow on Saturday, Angela Constance said the issue must not leave the spotlight.

She said: “The subject of today’s conference has never been more in the spotlight and it is up to us to ensure that we keep it there, never again to be consigned to the shadows for fear of the consequences of speaking out.

“Our bodies and our minds are our own. We will not tolerate the actions of anyone who chooses to harm us in any way – enough is enough.”

The Scottish Government pilot Equally Safe accreditation scheme for employers hopes to encourage best practice on tackling gender-based violence in the workplace.

Ms Constance added: “Employers need to ensure that they have robust, sensitive and fair procedures to deal with complaints, and that their employees have confidence in these.

“If women experiencing harassment and abuse do not have confidence, that pervasive silence will continue to exist and those who choose to behave in this way will continue to believe they can act with impunity.”