Introduction
The issue of sexual harassment has of late become thorny in society. Recent newspaper articles have focused mainly on the subject and the corresponding effect it has on society at large. Workplaces have been dogged by claims of sexual harassment to female employees. The issue has become so common to the point to warrant huge attention. Legal experts have therefore been called upon to deliberate the legal approach towards it. With the recent spate of emancipation for women one wonders why such barbaric acts of yore still have space in our society. This paper seeks to analyze the whole concept of sexual harassment in society.
In order to achieve this, all recent happenings associated with the same will be discussed. The paper also seeks to unveil the legal connotations of the issue. A detailed analysis of the whole concept of sexual harassment has been given due space in the paper. Priority has been put on the legal aspects of the concept. In order for the discussion to be successful, the paper has been divided into several segments.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can be described as an act of sexual nature done against a female. This involves all the treatment given to a woman that might contain or send a sexual connotation. Legally sexual harassment is an offense that attracts a huge penalty in the court of law. However sexual harassment thrives well in a society full of chauvinist and a lack of respect for women. Furthermore, the ignorance and lack of awareness on the part of women is another cause of the rampant cases of sexual harassment.
Most people only know about rape in which intercourse is involved. However, the other suggestive acts of teasing female employees are often ignored yet this defines sexual harassment. Sexual harassment, therefore, involves all those talks, gestures or another form of treatment that is directed towards somebody due to the gender of the person. Under normal circumstances, sexual harassment happens regularly in workplaces (Lux & Fisher 2004).
The workplaces have become dangerous places to work for females. The level to which female employees are harassed sexually in the job environment has skyrocketed in the recent past. Women bear the brunt of sexual harassment more than men due to their vulnerability and the social stereotypes of women.
Legal Concerns
Sexual harassment is inherently a legal issue in all aspects. This is due to the fact that such acts are well provided for in the law (Blobe 2002). Furthermore legally the rights of all are provided for including rights of the vulnerable in a society like women. However, the legal concern of the current spate of increased cases of sexual harassment is whether the current laws are satisfactory in dealing with the whole issue. Bearing in mind that cases of sexual harassment have increased in the recent past it is necessary to review the entire legal framework with regard to the subject of sexual harassment. If the current laws covering the issues have failed to deter people from committing the offense then an alternative has to be found.
Challenges of Managing Sexual Harassment
Managing the whole issue of sexual harassment is not an easy affair. However, through better institutional arrangements it is possible to reign in the situation. First and foremost the legal framework needs to be reworked on. The law enforcement agencies need to intensify their operations so as to arrest the culprits. Apart from the legal fact, business organizations and other institutions which employ people should be made to establish mechanisms through which the issue will be handled. Bearing in mind that most acts of sexual harassment take place in workplaces employers must be put to task about how they handle such events.
As such employing organizations must be made to establish methods of discouraging sexual violence. This must involve severe punitive measures for the culprits of the same. The legal definition of sexual harassment also needs to be reviewed. This will lead to the inclusion of all the parameters that surround the issue. From here the laws will have to be changed so as to prescribe severe punishments to all the perpetrators of such acts. Legal action will be the most effective tool with which to address the entire issue.
Conclusion
Sexual harassment is an issue of significant magnitude in society today. This has been the case in the recent past due to the increased acts of sexual violence in workplaces the recent past. This has put the legal provisions the same under tight scrutiny. Workplaces have been the leading places where most of these atrocities are performed. As a result, an alarm has been sounded in society about the status of the issue. At stake in the lives of the vulnerable specifically women and also the integrity of workplaces nowadays. The threat posed by the rampant case of sexual harassment is great for society.
Under normal circumstances, the weak and vulnerable must be protected in society. Increased acts of sexual harassment in society are affecting mostly women. These barbaric acts found a safe haven in the workplaces. Ninety percent of acts of sexual harassment take place in the workplace. This makes the workplace a dangerous place for women. Female employees have to endure unfavorable environments as they work. To address the entire issue of sexual harassment focus must be put on their workplace environments. At this point, employers must be brought to book about the state of their working environment.
The legal aspect of sexual harassment should also be given priority. Sexual harassment is, by all means, a legal issue. Therefore the legal framework must be worked upon so as to bring but necessary changes that will lead to a reduction in the cases of sexual violence. However, in addressing the entire issue there will be a lot of challenges along the way. First and foremost the whole concept needs to be well understood so as to avoid ambiguity and vagueness. The best way to start with is to address the many social stereotypes inherent in society. Most of them are a big stumbling block in the efforts of eradicating the menace.
Misplaced attitudes of gender and sexuality are to blame for the rampant increase of sexual violence. Society’s perception of gender is therefore a significant aspect of the war against sexual violence. The legal tool is equally effective since it is through the law the penalties to deter culprits will be set. The institutions of employment should also be forefront in addressing the issue since it happens mostly in workplaces.
References
Blobe, B. (2002). Analysis, design and implementation of secure and interoperable distributed health information systems. Washington: OS Press.
Lux, J. and Fisher, C. (2004). Bunkers: An Analysis of the Practical, Technical and Legal Issues. New York: Petrospot.