Sexual harassment at workplace
The most peculiar form of harassment which a women faces is the one in workplace which is a kind of act that can range from merely touching at wrong places to forcing someone to commit a sexual act by blackmailing them of their promotions or salary hikes. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual behaviour, which could be expected to make a woman feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It can be physical, verbal or written. All incidents of sexual harassment no matter how large or small or who is involved require employers or managers to respond quickly and appropriately. Just because women does not object to inappropriate behaviour in the workplace at the time, it does not mean that they are consenting to the behaviour.
These embarrassing situations can be faced by anyone, the issue maybe, we are scared to talk about this, to anyone.But, this issue has taken such a large face now, that something needs to be done for this. It’s a debatable topic and every such complaint can have a different set of solutions, primarily because the victim may have different conditions and different needs to be in the job. Firstly, try to figure out, how your position will be affected if you openly revolt against such incidents. If the assaulter is of the same position as you are then gather courage and stand up against such harassment. Then, the best way to stop such an action is bring this to the notice of the whole office. This can be done by working on a good plan. Also, keep a detailed journal about incidents of harassment. Include the names of everyone involved, what happened, and where and when it took place. If anyone else saw or heard the harassment, note that as well. Be as specific as possible about what was said and done — and how it affected you, your health, or your job performance. Keep your journal and notes at home or in a safe place outside of work.
If confronting the harasser doesn’t end the harassment, you should escalate your complaint within the company.Even if your company doesn’t have a formal complaint procedure, you should put the company on notice of the harassment. You can do this by making a complaint to the human resources department, telling your supervisor (or his or her supervisor) about the problem, or informing a company executive. Stand up and fight for the injustice done to you and remember that you must not take sexual harassment at work just as plainly as casual flirting.
— About the author: The article has been s contributed by our intern, Prashansa Ranjan. She is pursuing B.A. from Christ University, Bangalore. She is a firm believer of the Gandhian quote-” Be the change you want to see in the world”. She writes poems and articles in her free time, she believes that every woman should be equal to men in all respects. This equality can be achieved when we start from scratch; the process of restructuring the social mindsets.