10: #MeToo In The Workplace

The #MeToo conversation has been happening for several months but there is still much to discuss. Claire, Laine and Jessica are joined by YWCA Associate Board member Reina today as they talk about sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment at your job is second nature for almost every woman, from degrading work uniforms to uninvited sexual advances by supervisors and coworkers to a sexist comment as you walk by. Today we hear about our hosts' first experiences of workplace harassment and how it has shaped their careers.

In this episode:

It starts at the beginning – sexual harassment in the workplace starts as early as your first day on the job. What this means for most women is that at their first job when they are teenagers they are faced with complex and mature situations to navigate without having support or immediate knowledge of how to handle these situations. This early harassment in a woman’s career also teaches us that sexual harassment at work is common and usually goes without punishment for the harasser.

It happens in every industry – The service industry, government, private companies and nonprofits all are places where sexual harassment occurs. Sometimes it is from a supervisor or a customer, sometimes it is from a donor, but it is present in every workplace situation, through policies and practices for addressing it vary widely (https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/24/16807950/legal-system-sexual-harassment). So often the conversation around sexual harassment places the responsibility for preventing it on the victim (more frequently women), with suggestions to avoid sexual harassment ranging from dressing more modestly to avoiding riding elevators alone or certain elevators altogether. We must change the way we talk about sexual harassment to begin to address this problem that is so prevalent in the workplace.

Power dynamics – typically sexual harassment comes from someone who is in a higher power position than their victim, which limits the action that a victim can take – and it puts peoples livelihoods and careers on the line if they try to stand up to someone in a higher status. We see this often with companies deciding to protect the harasser because they are more highly trained and in a higher position in the organization. We must call on organizations to protect people who come forward about harassment and take steps to protect not only the victim of harassment but ensure that no one is harassed in the future. (https://nwlc.org/resources/metoowhatnext-strengthening-workplace-sexual-harassment-protections-and-accountability/)

*Sexual harassment can happen to any person regardless of gender or gender identity. This podcast specifically discusses sexual harassment that women face in the workplace.