I regret not speaking up against sexual harassment at work
An International Labour Organisation study says young women are twice likely to have faced sexual harassment or violence at work than young men.
What you need to know:
- ILO says young women are twice likely to have faced sexual harassment at work than young men.
- When Grace Njeri* told her colleagues who were on the same job level, that she had been sexually violated, she was victimised.
- In Kenya, the Employment Act protects a worker from sexual harassment.
Young women are twice likely to have faced sexual harassment or violence at work than young men, according to a global survey by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Respondents of the survey reported waste of time and fear for their reputation as top reasons for not reporting sexual harassment or violence when it happens.
Such was the case for Grace Njeri*, while working on a three-week gig, where she found herself in the hands of a touchy boss.
"It started with endless calls sometimes late at night. One day he asked that I stay behind for work and he kissed me. I felt violated but at the moment, I could not react due to shock.
“Afterwards, I blamed myself for not speaking up and when I told my colleagues who were on the same job level, I was victimised. That made me realise that reporting was going to be pointless, also given the fact that I work in a very male dominated field."
"Since I needed the money, I waited until I was paid to regain my voice. I told him off without mincing words and blocked him everywhere."
In Kenya, the Employment Act protects a worker from sexual harassment.
The Act defines sexual harassment as an unwanted or offensive physical behaviour of a sexual nature with promise or threats that may involve using explicit language.
Privacy protection
The Act mandates employers to have a policy statement on sexual harassment, make employees aware, and consult them on creating it. The statement must include a commitment to a free workplace, preventative steps, disciplinary action, complaint procedures, and privacy protection, applying to both male and female employees.
However, in certain cases, women find themselves experiencing harassment from the same people who ought to be enforcing policies and ensuring their overall safety at work.
Linet Mwende* was an intern when she was intimidated by the human resources officer, after refusing to agree to changes made to her contract to include more unpaid roles.
"Employee turnover at that firm was high and I ended up becoming a top executive a month into my internship. When the intimidation started, I realised it was a waste of time to report to the overall boss, since they were close friends and I had rejected the boss' sexual advances several times.
“I feared going to him would finally give him the leeway to take advantage of me. When my contract was unfairly terminated, I wept and left, because I had no resources to seek legal redress," says Mwende.
Gender inequality drives sexual harassment and violence in workplaces and it requires addressing culture and environment to tame the vice.
The work culture also affects factors, which prevent victims from reporting like stigmatisation, lack of knowledge, normalisation, re-victimisation and retaliation tactics.
ILO recommends continuous awareness raising and training within the organisation to ensure the employees have a clear understanding and to drive implementation of sexual harassment policies.
