Workplace sexual harassment is real, YOU are at risk

Workplace sexual harassment is sex-based behavior that is unwelcome and offensive to its recipients, committed in the context of work.

Both men and women can be sexually harassed by the opposite sex. Have you felt sexually harassed before? How did you deal with it? There are many who change their jobs or resign entirely due to sexual harassment at the workplace. 

Sexual harrassment can be physical, verbal or nonverbal and falls into two main categories:

Sexual coercion or ‘quid pro quo’ harassment

Sexual coercion or ‘quid pro quo’ harassment is where the harasser uses job related threats or bribes to initiate or continue a sexual relationship.

Hostile work environment includes a broad range of behaviors that convey hostile, insulting and/or degrading attitudes about women, or creating work conditions that are humiliating or intimidating for the person.

Workplace sexual harassment

Workplace sexual harassment is one type of violence against women (VAW). It is largely targeted towards and experienced by women specifically. According to the UN, at least 2 billion women worldwide are estimated to have experienced sexual harassment.1

Why does sexual harassment occur in the workplace?

The power imbalance that puts men over women is the root cause of sexual harassment. Some men sexually harass women in the workplace as a means to demean women who are talented, hardworking or otherwisegaining power in the work environment.

Creating an equal distribution of power between genders in the workplace is essential to ending sexual harassment.

In communities where sexual harassment is normalized and not questioned, this continues into the
workplace.

Barriers to reporting sexual harassment contribute to silence about the issue.

Barriers include fear of retaliation, stigma and victim blame, unclear reporting mechanisms and lack of follow up on reports until those using harassment are held responsible.

UNWomen. (2019). Handbook addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work. Retrieved from: https://www.
unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2019/addressing-violence-and-harassment-againstwomen-in-the-world-of-work-en.pdf?la=en&vs=4050 on 20 September 2019.