SEXUAL HARRASMENT AT WORK PLACE

Author - Himanshi khaneja Sexual Harassment is an epidemic throughout global systems and impact individuals, groups and entire organization. Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment irrespective of gender. No one deserves, or asks, to be sexually harassed. Everyone has the right to work and live in an environment that’s safe and free from harassment of any kind. Sexual harassment is illegal (under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984). Precarious working conditions, hierarchical organizations, a normalization of gender-based violence, toxic culture, and a silence environment are all key features enabling sexual harassment. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to the various aspects of sexual harassment as a problem: its definition, its characteristics and a discussion on how to deal with such problems in the workplace. INTRODUCTION Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions from verbal transgressions to sexual abuse or assault. Harassment can occur in many different social settings such as the workplace, the home, school, churches, etc. Harassers or victims may be of any sex or gender. In the workplace, harassment may be considered illegal when it is frequent or severe thereby creating a hostile or offensive work environment. The legal and social understanding of sexual harassment, however, varies by culture. For many businesses or organizations, preventing sexual harassment and defending employees from sexual harassment charges have become key goals of legal decision-making. Sexual harassment comes in many forms: Physical contact and advances; A demand or request for sexual favors; Sexually colored remarks Any other unwelcome physical verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. India is a democratic country. All citizens have the fundamental right to live with dignity under article 21of the constitution of India. Government and employers should make separate laws dealing with this issue. It is a broad issue and involves various perspectives. VARIED BEHAVIORS One of the difficulties in understanding sexual harassment is that it involves a range of behaviors. In most cases (although not in all cases) it is difficult for the victim to describe what they experienced. This can be related to difficulty classifying the situation or could be related to stress and humiliation experienced by the recipient. Moreover, behavior and motives vary between individual cases. Different classes of harassers are described as: A predatory harasser: a person who gets sexual thrills from humiliating others. This harasser may become involved in sexual extortion, and may frequently harass just to see how targets respond. Those who don't resist may even become targets for rape. A dominance harasser: the most common type, who engages in harassing behavior as an ego boost. Strategic or territorial harassers who seek to maintain privilege in jobs or physical locations, for example a man's harassment of a female employee in a predominantly male occupation. A street harasser: Another type of sexual harassment performed in public places by strangers. Street harassment includes verbal and nonverbal behavior, remarks that are frequently sexual in nature and comment on physical appearance or a person's presence in public. PREVENTION Anti-sexual harassment training programs have little evidence of effectiveness and "Some studies suggest that training may in fact backfire, reinforcing gendered stereotypes that place women at a disadvantage". The use of audio and video recording can help in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Audio recording apps are available for use on smartphones, and can for instance be used during job interviews. Every organization should conduct sexual harassment trainings/drills for employees and staff. There should be well set up complaint mechanism in the organization. IMPACT The impact of sexual harassment can vary. In research carried out by me which studied the behavior of 22 individuals -most of them were not satisfied with their working environment. Furthermore, close to one in three women (29%) has experienced sexual harassment in some way or the other which reduces their will to work. As a consequence they don’t feel safe in there working environment. In other situations, harassment may lead to temporary or prolonged stress or depression depending on the recipient's psychological abilities to cope and the type of harassment and the social support or lack thereof for the recipient. Psychologists and social workers report that severe or chronic sexual harassment can have the same psychological effects as rape or sexual assault. Victims who do not submit to harassment may also experience various forms of retaliation, including isolation and bullying. As an overall social and economic effect every year, sexual harassment deprives women from active social and economic participation and costs hundreds of millions of dollars in lost educational and professional opportunities for mostly girls and women. However, the quantity of men implied in these conflicts is significant. The small acts of misconduct can have a drastic impact on the lives of the victims. EFFECTS ON THE VICTIM Some of the psychological and health effects that can occur in someone who has been sexually harassed as a result of stress and humiliation: depression; anxiety; panic attacks; sleeplessness; nightmares; shame; guilt; difficulty concentrating; headaches; fatigue; loss of motivation; stomach problems; eating disorders (such as weight loss or gain); alcoholism; feeling betrayed, violated, angry, violent towards the perpetrator, powerless or out of control; increased blood pressure; loss of confidence or self-esteem; withdrawal; isolation; overall loss of trust in people; traumatic stress; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); complex post-traumatic stress disorder; suicidal thoughts or attempts, and suicide. CONCLUSION There is a need to provide a positive environment, there should be separate laws dealing with the issues relating to this issue. New strategies should be formed by the employers and managers to protect the organization from this evil. Effective implementation of the policies can reduce the manifestation and mutilation of the sexual harassment to the minimum. Employers should make sure that gender discrimination does not take place and employees feel satisfied at the workplace. One organization can alter its approach to handle sexual harassment by viewing other organisations tactic. This will reduce and eliminate glitches caused by this harmful transgression. Special emphasis should be given to women workers as they have to majorly face this issue and are forced to shut down. Every employee should understand that it his legal duty to provide every women employee a sense of security in workplace. A commitment is required from all levels of the organization for the positive implementation of the polocies and procedures made against sexual harassment.