A recent report by the TUC's Women's Advisory Committee, “Sexual Harassment at Work”, raises a number of important legal issues which the author discusses in this article.

This research investigates women's experiences of sexual harassment in three different organizations in the same New Zealand town. Women working at the local meat-processing plant, a retail store and a local bank were interviewed about their personal experiences of sexual harassment. The interviews revealed that sexual harassment took different forms and was interpreted and responded to differently in each organization. Women at the meatworks were often socially isolated from other women and had few effective strategies for combating the verbal and physical harassment collectively perpetrated by male employees. In contrast, women at the store had a range of collective coping strategies which enabled them to regard harassment from fellow-workers and customers as an irritant rather than a serious threat. Women at the bank also had various collective coping strategies, but were more constrained by customer service norms in the organization. These findings are discussed in relation to three key themes; firstly, the influence of the local environment on organizational life; secondly, the effects of differing organizational structures and cultures on the expression and interpretation of sexual harassment and thirdly, the effectiveness of the various ‘communities of coping’ which women develop to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

background

Sexual Harassment At Work — A Legal View

Sexual Harassment in Small-Town New Zealand: A Qualitative Study of Three Contrasting Organizations

Ethical Issues and Workplace Problems in Commercial Hospitality: A New Zealand Study

ABSTRACT Sexual harassment at the University of California Davis was st9died to provide information for campus officials. Attention was directed to: campus attitudes about sexual harassMenf; the incidence of sexual harassment among survey respondents; the circumstances and characteristics of sexual harassment incidents; the effects of sexual harassment on victims; and the campus resources. used by, or needed for, victims. A total of 1,399 students and employees respqnded to the questionnaire. SoMe respondents defined sexual harassmint more broadly than did the university. A majority of men respondents and a 'third of women respondents were uncertain whether sexual harassment occurred at the university, yet most perceived it asta campps problem. Women respondents were more aware than men of sexual harassment, and less likely to attribute it to sexual drive, human nature, or a misunderstanding. About 20 percent of faculty and staff, 17 percent of graduate/professional students, and 7 percent of unddrgraduate women respondents had been sexually harassed at the university. In 71 pprcent of fhe" cases of, seual harassment, the harassor was in a Higher -status position tha1n the victim; in half the cases he held difect authority over the victim. Questionnaires are appended. (SW)

/pdf/sexual-harassment-at-uc-davis-vomor81e1x.pdf

Sexual Harassment at UC Davis.

,The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contribute to gender discrimination in retail shops, focusing on general dealer shops at Murambinda Growth point in Buhera, Zimbabwe. Despite the fact that policy makers continue to grapple with possible strategies to promote and advance progress towards equal opportunities for women, gender discrimination in retail shops still exists. Recent research also shows that workplace discrimination continues to be an impediment to gender equality. Women, who bear the disproportionate burden of the worldâ€™s poverty, continue to face systematic discrimination in areas of employment, healthcare and education. This discrimination is quite significant in increasing poverty levels among women as it makes it more difficult for women to sustain livelihoods .It is from that premise that the study sought to find out why, after all the advances that have been made in womenâ€™s education and in breaking the corporate glass ceiling, is the situation of women unchanging? Using the descriptive survey design, the study examined the possible limitations on female labour market participation. The study established that there are a number of factors that contribute to the discrimination of women in working environments, chief among them being patriarchy, religion, culture and socialisation. Over and above all, the study recommends that all efforts targeted at addressing gender discrimination in the workplace must take into consideration the fact that gender roles are socially constructed and they are heavily influenced by the above mentioned factors.

http://www.aessweb.com/pdf-files/669-681.pdf

Sexual Harassment At Work — A Legal View

Citations

Sexual Harassment in Small-Town New Zealand: A Qualitative Study of Three Contrasting Organizations

Ethical Issues and Workplace Problems in Commercial Hospitality: A New Zealand Study

Sexual Harassment at UC Davis.

Gender discrimination in retail shops’ personnel: the case of general dealer shops at Murambinda growth point, Buhera, Zimbabwe

Related Papers (5)

Preventing sexual harassment at work

Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Breaking the Silence: Creating User-Friendly Sexual Harassment Policies

Sexual Harassment in Higher Education: A Victim's Remedies and a Private University's Liability.

The Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse's Role as Sexual Harassment Ombudsman