By Amusa and Moawad

WeNews Correspondents

The Republic of Benin's National Assembly voted July 17 to pass the country's first comprehensive sexual harassment legislation aimed at protecting girls and women in schools, workplaces and in homes, according to the Women's Rights Initiative, a program of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"By punishing sexual harassment and allowing women to stay in the workplace without being sexually harassed, Benin is improving the chances for the country to develop economically," said Lyn Neylon, a legal and gender specialist for the initiative.

In Benin, a small nation on the west coast of Africa, many girls opt out of school because they are sexually harassed by teachers, Neylon said. With no punishment for the men, some girls find it easier to drop out of school. About 50 percent of girls enroll in primary school and a majority of them drop out by secondary school, according to UNICEF. Only 25 percent of Benin women age 15 and older are literate.

All but one assembly member out of 64 approved the measure. Three women are currently on the assembly, including Lamatou Alaza, who introduced the legislation.