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dignity: harassment and discrimination
:
Tips and tools
Recognizing sexual harassment
1 Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favor or other verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which:
- unreasonably interferes with work;
- is made a condition of employment; or
- creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
Categories of sexual harassment
2 Sexual harassment generally falls into
two main categories.
- Quid pro quo – submission
to sexual advances or requests for sexual favors is made a condition
of employment; or submission to or rejection of such conduct is explicitly
or implicitly used as a basis for employment decisions.
- Hostile work environment – sexual conduct interferes with a staff member’s
work or is so serious or pervasive that it creates an intimidating,
hostile or offensive work environment.
Types of conduct
3 Conduct of a sexual nature may be:
- physical –
unwanted contact, ranging from touching, patting, pinching, kissing or
brushing against another person’s body to assault or coerced
sexual intercourse;
- verbal –
including unwelcome sexual advances, offensive flirtations, suggestive
remarks, innuendos or lewd comments; unwelcome propositions or pressure
for sexual activity; continued suggestions for social activity outside
the workplace after it has been made clear that such activity is unwelcome;
jokes of a sexual nature;
- non-verbal –
display of pornographic or suggestive pictures, screen savers, objects
or written materials; leering or making sexually suggestive gestures;
it also includes all the examples mentioned above if delivered via
e-mail or in writing rather than in person.
4 Although in many cases a man is the harasser and a woman the harassed, sexual harassment can also involve a woman harassing a man or individuals of the same sex.
Why does sexual harassment happen?
5 This is too complex an issue for a succinct
answer. However, the following factors are all potentially significant
factors in understanding why sexual harassment happens:
- experiences derived through school and community;
- attitudes developed at home and at work; and
- historical perceptions of women’s roles, as distinct from current-day
expectations.
Note: these factors may apply just as much to the victim as to the harasser.
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© CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program 2006