Addressing Sexual Violence in the Work Place

By Vridhi Mathur.

Reading time: four minutes

In April 2024, The Student Lawyer’s D&I team are marking the 23rd anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This article is part of a series of work that raises awareness and educates about SAAM.

Recently, sexual violence in the workplace is a pervasive issue that undermines the safety, well-being, and dignity of employees. It encompasses a variety of actions, including unwanted approaches, remarks, assaults, and coercion. A comprehensive strategy of well-defined policies, effective preventative measures, and all-encompassing care for survivors is needed to address sexual assault.

In addition to outlining critical actions that companies should take to make workplaces safer and more courteous for all workers, it is crucial to examine the significance of addressing sexual violence in the workplace.

Movements like #MeToo have shed light on the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in professional settings, prompting organisations to reassess their policies and practices. However, much work remains to be done to create truly safe and equitable work environments for all employees.

Sexual Violence in a Workplace

The connection between sexual violence and workplace remains a grey area, however, it is important to understand its root causes and manifestations. Sexual violence becomes poisonous because of power imbalances, gender inequality, and toxic workplace cultures. It can come in many different forms, such as:

• unwanted physical contact;
• verbal abuse; and even
• assault.

Organisations can effectively prevent this from happening and respond to initiatives by exploring this subject deeply. As employees, they can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they might face and collectively strive toward meaningful solutions that put each worker’s safety, well-being, and dignity first.

Creating a Culture of Prevention

Prevention is a frontline defence to battle against sexual violence. Building an environment that actively prevents such misconduct requires a concerted effort from both the organisational leaders and the employees at various levels. All organisations must have comprehensive and well-defined policies that explicitly prohibit sexual harassment and must emphasise on the zero-tolerance policy towards any sort of sexual misconduct. These policies must outline what constitutes the definition of misconduct and how to report incidents and consequences for perpetrators.

This culture could additionally be spread across by conducting regular training sessions that cover important topics such as bystander intervention, inappropriate touch, and the significance of a healthy work culture.

One of the most important factors in cultivating this culture is promoting open communication and ensuring employees feel comfortable to speak up, irrespective of their positions, without the fear of retaliation. By fostering a culture of openness and transparency, organisations can identify such issues beforehand before they escalate.

Supporting Survivors

Healing is an important part of being a survivor of sexual violence. Survivors may go through a range of emotional, physical, and psychological effects. The organisations in such situations must provide a broad range of support services to help the survivor navigate their professional and personal life. The provision of having access to legal resources and advocacy services at the workplace will allow the survivor to understand their rights, seek redressal for the huge impact caused to them, and open up other options to seek remedy. Having a fool proof legal process empowers the survivors to assert their rights and hold the sinner accountable.

Another important aspect that should be taken into consideration is prevention from retaliation and re-victimisation. Proactive measures in this regard may involve implementing anti-retaliation policies, providing ongoing support and protection to the survivors, and moving towards breaking the cycle of silence and justice surrounding sexual violence. This will motivate the survivors to speak up to address their diverse needs and experiences.

Building Partnership and Collaboration

By working together with various stakeholders, organisations can leverage expertise, resources, and support to create more effective strategies for prevention and response. While working on these, an internal collaboration between departments and teams is essential to create a coordinated response to any sexual act in the work place. There should be collaboration and involvement of human resources, legal, security, and employee assistance teams, so they can work hand in hand to implement a concrete procedure during such scenarios.

Conclusion

Addressing sexual violence in a workplace is a tricky but necessary endeavour. Organisations that comprehend the underlying causes of sexual assault are in a better position to may make workplaces safer for all workers. This can be done by fostering a culture of prevention, holding offenders accountable, and forming partnerships.

Employers have to put their employees’ safety and interests first and act decisively to stop sexual assault wherever it happens. Only by working together can we create a future where every individual can thrive free from the fear of sexual violence in the workplace.