A Ghanaian Gender Specialist, Bashiratu Kamal-Muslim has emphasised that work place sexual harassment must become everybody’s business because the entire workforce in a particular set-up or organisation suffers from the shameful act.
Speaking at a US Embassy, Ghana virtual programme on Friday, August 20, 2021, on sexual harassment on the topic “Understanding and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace,” she reminded Ghanaians that “consent and unwanted” are two key words that run through people’s mind when requesting for sexual favors of any kind, verbal or physical sexual nature.
Bashiratu Kamal –Muslim a Labour Specialist and a Council Member and Fellow on the Gender and Social Inclusion Pillar at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a Policy Think- Tank cautioned that once the other party is not given consent, one must stay away from ways that could make them feel uncomfortable and ways that are unwanted to them.
“Requests for sexual favours of any kind, verbal or physical must go with consent with the other party,” she stressed, adding that, “preposition is also a way of sexual harassment and it comes in a form of threat of rape or rape.”
She cautioned people not to joke with such words, especially when someone tells you “if I get you, you will see where power lies in a sexual manner, this means the person is mean to his words.”
In addition, she said sexual harassment implied an offer from persons in positions of power to get what rightly deserved, and it is term as “Quid pro quo harassment” and “Hostile work environment harassment, also come in a form of terrible pictures, pornographic materials, invasion of space at workplaces.
She however, stated that managers, supervisors, peers, colleagues bosses, co-workers and even third parties, could perpetuate that sexual harassment.
She mentioned that, women could experience sexual harassment six times more than men, explaining also that victims who experience sexual harassment at workplaces ended up quitting their jobs, which affect productivity; they also live in frustration, like depression, mental health associated issues, and it limits the power of women at workplace.
“Although men experience sexual harassment at workplace but on the minimal level “she added, saying that prevention is always better through putting systems and structures in place to avoid it happening.
Giving out some solutions to curb sexual harassment at workplaces, Madam Kamal-Muslim advised women to join Worker’s Unions to have more power, and to get more women into leadership to get women’s issue on the agenda.
“it can never be right or fair to force already vulnerable workers to accept sexual harassment or to risk economic devastation, sexual harassment is a complex and pervasive workplace issue, and every step is an important step “ she emphasised.
