Employers Should Not Stay Silent on Workplace Sexual Harassment

What would you say or do if you witness sexual harassment at your workplace?

United Nations Population Fund Malaysian representative for Malaysia and Thailand Marcela Suazo says victims of sexual harassment usually stay silent because they are afraid of the backlash from their employers. They also don’t feel supported by their coworkers.

 

Stand up against harassment

Suazo said “If everyone, both men and women, stand together and not just a small group of women … it will send a message to colleagues, their employers and the government that this is not tolerable. Sexual harassment is not permissible. It is important that when we see something, we say something. We must all stand up against harassment.”.

The statistics from the Public Service Department state that there were 47 sexual harassment cases in the public sector and 64 in the private sector from 2015 to 2017. Activists say that the actual figures are likely to be higher as more victims do not report to the authorities for fear of a backlash.

 

Cases of sexual harassment

This year’s headlines have been hogged by cases of workplace sexual harassment. Earlier this year, former employees of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Malaysia) told their stories of sexual harassment. They claimed that the complaints have fallen on deaf ears as the management of the non-organisation did nothing to address their complaints.

In July, an orthopaedic head at a government hospital was reported to have sexually harassed several housemen in a hospital in the Klang Valley. The sexual predator was terminated from service after an investigation by the Health Ministry.

Most recently, radio station BFM was under fire for sexual harassment allegations. BFM is now conducting an internal investigation into the matter.

 

Speak up!

Though some coworkers and colleagues may want to speak up for victims, lawyer and women’s rights activist Meera Samanther issues caution to whistleblowers to not reveal details about victims without their consent.

“The intention may  be to blow the whistle on the harassment but consent of the victim must be obtained first. We don’t know what hurdles the victims may have to go through once their identities have been revealed. Maybe they haven’t told their families about it. Consent is important,” she said.

Activists say that the large amount of cases being reported demonstrates the desperate need for a law on sexual harassment which will not only protect victims but will also prevent abuse.

Animah Kosai, the founder of Speak Up and a legal advocate, said that policies and laws must support women who have been harassed.

Animah wrote in an article titled “Men, this is Why Women Stay Silent When Sexually Harassed”, she said: “In many organisations, HR tends to start from a place of disbelief. He is innocent until proven guilty. I’m knocking that out right now. If you are investigating sexual harassment within an organisation or industry, you are not required to follow the high standard of proof of a criminal trial. Your duty is to protect your employees."

“You start by believing her.”

This article is based on 'Workplace sexual harassment: don't stay silent on the issue' by S. Indramalar