Sexual Harassment

The workplace for many women has become a terrifying and an uncomfortable environment due to sexual harassment. It has become very common for women to experience sexual harassment at least one time in their workplace. What women experience can range from hearing sexist and disrespectful comments to being touched in a sexual and inappropriate manner. Some companies have already adopted policies that claim that sexual harassment will not be tolerated, but they lack the ability to enforce those policies. Therefore, the problem continues for women.

In the article “Women in the Workplace”, the authors state that women who do not follow the standard feminine expectations tend to be more of a target to sexual harassment, meaning that women in high positions, women who are not heterosexual, and women who work in a male-dominated area are targeted more. The authors’ research and studies have shown that 58% of women in senior leadership, 48% of lesbian women, and 45% of women in technical fields have reported that they have been sexually harassed. As for the policies that companies have built to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, only 62% of employees report that within the past year their companies have asserted that sexual harassment will not be tolerated and only 60% of employees believe that their company would address and investigate a sexual harassment case. Also, two out of three employees believe that their companies will not address a sexual harassment incident quickly. Although some of the percentages fall over 50%, they have not reached above 90% which is where most companies should be at. Those 60% clearly state that 40% of employees are still victims of sexual harassment and companies should work on reducing that number to 0%.

The #MeToo movement has inspired many women employees to speak out about the sexual harassment they have encountered in their workplace. In the article “New $20 Million Fund Aims to End Workplace Sexual Harassment”, Bonnie Chiu begins with announcing that about 11 United States funders have funded $20 million dollars to help end sexual harassment in the workplace. Chiu claims that the fund is mainly focusing on women who have been sexually  harassed based on their race, ethnicity, age, class, disability and sexuality.

It is very important for companies to start taking bigger steps to lessen the chances of sexual harassment in the workplace. Women who work in companies that do not take sexual harassment seriously are far less likely to speak out. Companies should work on creating an environment where women should feel valued and comfortable to speak out about any sexual harassment incidents. Companies, who haven’t already, should start providing some sort of training and programs on sexual harassment to their employees. It can be included in the hiring process when companies decide to recruit new employees and members. Sexual harassment is a very serious and common topic not only in the workplace but in other environments as well, and we can all do all part to address the issue and be informed on how to prevent sexual harassment from happening.

Reference: Krivkovich, Alexis, et al. “Women in the Workplace 2018.” McKinsey &Company, Oct. 2018,www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-in-the-workplace-2018.

Chiu, Bonnie. “New $20 Million Fund Aims to End Workplace Sexual Harassment” Forbes, 3 Apr. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bonniechiu/2019/04/03/new-20-million-fund-aims-to-end-workplace-sexual-harassment/#9100bb91feef