For the first time ever, the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) has added the guideline of the importance of consent in sexual relationships in the players’ handbook.
According to ESPNcricinfo report, NZCPA added this after observing the recent increasing reports of harassment of women in the workplaces.
For almost last seven years, the NZCPA has run a personal development programme for the players but it is the first time when they have included the affirmative sexual consent on the segment of how to deal with various risk.
In this new ‘Good Decision-Making’ chapter, the intro added, “Making good decisions is important in all aspects of life. This is particularly important when relating to sexual relationships, and especially around matters of consent.”
In the next part, the ‘Sexual Consent’ elaborated, “No matter the situation, sexual consent is crucial. Remember, good consent is about good communication. If you want to have relations with someone, you are required by law to get consent from them each time.
“Consent has to be informed, which means you have to be honest about the situation.
“Consent must be freely given. This means they are saying yes because they want to, not because they might be too drunk to say no, or too scared to say no, or they want to stop you from harassing them to say yes.
“Always treat the person you are having intimate relationship with, with respect.”
well done to @NZCPA on the inclusion of sexual consent guidelines in their “players’ handbook”. #NoMeansNo pic.twitter.com/mM5gnqtUeM
— Richard Boock (@richardboock) October 9, 2018
NZCPA chief executive Heath Mills told New Zealand Herald, “If people are making good decisions they’re aware of the risks around being a professional cricketer and are aware of the importance of respect and responsibility, then they’re going to be skills and attributes they’re going to have for life no matter what career they’re involved in.
“There’s a whole heap of pages in here, and they’re all aspects of the personal development programme that we run. Good decision-making is one aspect to it.”
