Sexual harassment

Examples of gender-based harassment, sexual harassment and violence

Verbal

  • Pressure for sexual favours
  • Unwelcome sexual or gender-based teasing, joking, comments or questions
  • Personal questions about private life or sex life or spreading rumours about the sexual behaviour of an individual
  • Gender-based or sexual comments about clothing or the appearance of an individual
  • Inappropriate and/or persistent invitations for a date
  • To make an employee dress in a sexual or gender-based way at work

Symbolic

  • Unwelcome indicated sexual attention
  • Cat calling
  • Showing or sending sexual content via SMS, email or on social media

 

Physical

  • Rape or attempted sexual abuse
  • Shaking, hitting, kicking, biting or spanking
  • Unwelcome hugs, kisses, petting or stroking
  • To enter an individual’s personal space, such as by leaning over or cornering, provided it is unwelcome behaviour
  • Unwelcome touching, grabbing and groping

Consequences

Communal

  • Inequality
  • Gender-based wage difference
  • Increased expense due to welfare issues
  • Health care- and pharmaceutical costs
  • Lower gross national product

In the work place

  • Absence and sickness
  • Higher personnel turn over
  • Less productivity
  • Bad morale and reduced incentive
  • Compensation and expenses for the cost of psychologists and lawyers
  • Loss of goodwill and damaging effect on company's image