Sexual misconduct at the workplace started to dominate the news due to the Me Too movement’s emergence. The Me Too movement is a historic global movement that started out as a Hollywood sex scandal. Once the industry’s biggest names were called out openly for their actions, it gave the rest of the public courage and strength to come out with their own stories. ‘Casting Couch’ scandal can be seen in many forms and is not limited to any particular profession. It was shocking to know how widespread and hidden the extent of it was. And it sparked a public reckoning around the world.
In the wake of this movement, decades of frustration erupted and finally spurred discussion about the action to be taken. Amid all the traction it got in the media, demand for enacting a proper legislation to protect its citizens from sex discrimination was considered. In India, we do not have any specific workplace sexual harassment laws yet. However, we do have general laws regarding sexual harassment that the victim can pursue.
Workplace harassment is under-reported as a crime due to fear of retaliation from the perpetrator. In most cases, it is done by a person who is self-assured of it not being reported due to the authority he/she holds. When a person has a position of power, they can misuse it and gain consent from their employees for even perverse acts. Employees tolerate it and go along with it, out of fear of losing career opportunities or due to some financial pressure. Most of the time, the accused is confident that it was consensual, as there was a quid pro quo involved. However, the victim’s desperation for a life-changing opportunity that is being held off, if he or she does not follow through with whatever their boss orders, automatically negate free will. It becomes coercion and, in some extreme cases, extortion.
Sexual harassment is pervasive and present in many forms. It can be a demand for sexual favors or mere unrequited and unwanted physical contact from colleagues. It also includes sexual remarks inappropriate and said in supposed jest. The dismissal of people in authority to deal with such actions has exacerbated this attitude. The dismissive attitude of people in authority that could have helped eliminate this has only exacerbated these actions.
Although the legal system has failed to prohibit it explicitly, companies can change this by creating a strict corporate culture and policies adjacent to eliminating such harassment. Stringent actions against the perpetrators will serve as examples to the rest about the severity of the harassment. Changes in attitude, creating accountability for the way you communicate and interact with your colleagues, and ensuring the reporter’s confidentiality will increase the chances of it being reported, as it isn’t registered for fear of retribution.
Nevertheless, the Me Too movement proved to be a watershed movement that ignited everyone’s fury at the knowledge that it had been going on for so long, unabated and unabashedly. Creating this kind of environment will improve the employee’s job satisfaction and performance, something that will benefit all the people involved.
