Sexual harassment is an issue that continues to be witnessed in society today, with women being most affected, especially in the workplace. It entails any physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct based on sex and usually has adverse effects on the dignity of women and men at the workplace, this includes unwanted sexual comments use of images or signs that objectify women, and sexual assault resulting in an unsafe working environment among the affected individuals. It can lead to a loss of dignity, personal suffering, damage to one’s reputation, and self-esteem loss. Even though sexual harassment in the workplace may target anyone, women are the most vulnerable and usually perpetrated by men. Women are the most susceptible due to societal roles that expect them to act and behave in a given manner.
Women that face sexual harassment in the workplace are usually from specific groups, including those from low socio-economic status, indigenous and ethnic minorities, and those rendered LGBTQ (ILO, 2020). These groups face various forms of sexual harassment in the workplace, and they rarely report it because of a lack of awareness about what sexual harassment entails, fear of reprisal, especially from peers and supervisors, a lack of adequate reporting mechanism, and stereotype blaming of the victim rather than the perpetrators (ILO, 2020). Still, the same difficulty in providing evidence about sexual harassment contributes to the unlikeness of one reporting as they cannot prove its occurrence.
Workplaces that are male-dominated have high chances of sexual harassment among women. Women that do not adhere to the culturally ascribed roles face sexual harassment in the workplace because they are perceived to have broken their expected roles by entering male-dominated occupations instead of staying at home (ILO, 2020). This has adverse effects like pay gaps, career progression, and occupational segregation. Women may receive less pay than men who do the same job and, at times, deter the victims from applying for higher-level jobs for better pay because of the gender gaps (ILO, 2020). Sexual harassment also adversely impacts the workplace because it leads to low productivity, poor relations between employees, and undermines equality, leading to questioning the integrity, well-being, and dignity of workers
However, these negative impacts of sexual harassment can be prevented at the workplace by having an inclusive and supportive workplace (ILO, 2020). Organizations should ensure that a culture of impunity that supports violence and harassment is dismantled in its environment. This should be done regardless of demographic differences, including sex, age, or gender, to create a culture that has respect for all. Organizations should also implement policies and measures to ensure sexual harassment is prevented in the workplace (ILO, 2020). This can be enhanced through providing information and training regarding sexual harassment to all employees with corresponding consequences and disciplinary measures for failing to adhere to them.
Additionally, sexual harassment can be prevented through laws to protect vulnerable groups (ILO, 2020). For example, labour laws should cover sexual harassment issues, and a burden of proof should also extensively address this issue. The legislative gaps should be closed to ensure prevention and protection against this form of harassment in the workplace hence promoting an inclusive working environment (ILO, 2020). Convention No. 190 and Recommendation No. 206 have effectively addressed workplace violence and harassment and the right to non-discrimination (ILO, 2020). These two aspects have also effectively considered the workplace risk assessment that arises from discrimination. They call for an inclusive and supportive work environment for all genders as they enter the labour market with an effective mechanism for dispute resolution, support services, and remedies. This has played a significant role in building a respectful and gender-responsive workplace culture.
Reference
International Labour Organization (ILO). (2020). Sexual harassment in the world of work. Web.