Sexual Harassment as a Global Issue - Research Paper Example

Sexual Harassment as a Global Issue Abdulla AlEmadi Introduction Sexual harassment is a global issue that is facing most countries in the world. The number of people suffering this misconduct is also increasing in most places. As such, it is important for the world to develop approaches to fighting the issue. Most people in the world particularly women are adversely affected by sexual harassment. The number of sexual harassment victims has been increasing across various parts of the world (Gharaibeh 73). Although their voices are not heard, the victims of sexual harassment suffer from psychological stress and depression due to the harassment. The issue of sexual harassment affects the whole society and requires joined efforts to combat it. The starting point of handling the issue of sexual harassment is conducting research about the issue and understanding the various perspectives and contexts upon which sexual harassment takes place. This paper will start by discussing the origins, the evolution, and the global context of sexual harassment. It will also offer possible solutions of ways to decrease sexual harassment that is occurring in selected countries. Sexual harassment in the world Sexual harassment is an issue experienced by men and women of all ages, races, religions and nationalities, all over the world. The number of sexual harassment reports around the world continues to increase. The threat of sexual harassment affects the lives of millions, especially women, worldwide. Victims of sexual harassment often find it hard to recover from the trauma. They usually exhibit mental stress, depression, and low self-esteem. As such, the effects of sexual harassment may ultimately affect the lives of these people. “Incidences of sexual harassment are on the rise in most parts of the world particularly towards women” (Kenny, Samah and Chan 296). In Bahrain, most of the reported cases of sexual harassment are towards women, especially foreigners working in the country. In order to comprehend and know the dynamics and the importance of addressing the issue of sexual harassment, it is vital to assess the global trends of the matter in order to understand its severity. Most of the global research on sexual harassment has focused on women. Due to the increasing rates of sexual harassment in the world, there is a need for governments, organizations, and the international community, to take affirmative action towards the issue. “The world should not view incidents of sexual harassment as isolated incidences but as a construed aggression against the rights of people” (Akhtar 55). The world today is increasing its focus on the rights and freedoms of people. Therefore, sexual harassment also needs to be addressed because it is an act that breaches the rights of people and is devastating to victims. Historical context of sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a concept that dates back to the 1970s though concepts related to this have been in existence in many cultures for centuries. The term “sexual harassment” emerged in the mid-1970s in North America. The term was used in the 1973 report on various types of gender issues presented to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Mary Rowe. The concept of sexual harassment existed among women’s groups in Massachusetts as early as in the 1970s. At the time, sexual harassment also recognized injuries due to racial harassment and the harassment of women of color. There is evidence that there has been progress in addressing the issue of sexual harassment around the globe. Laws prohibiting this conduct and protecting victims of sexual harassment have come into being rather recently with the United States developing Title VII of its Civil Rights Act in 1964. Since then, other countries around the world have followed this path, by inserting provisions on sexual harassment into legislations. Progress to end sexual harassment is evident in the development of laws and regulations to prohibit sexual harassment. The other progress is on the development of policies towards fighting the issue. However, “the varying perceptions of sexual harassment prove to be a challenge in combating the problem” (Fielder and Blanco 285). Global context of sexual harassment Quantifying the global experience of sexual harassment poses a challenge because there is no universal definition of the exact criterion of sexual harassment. The varying perceptions of sexual harassment and the low reporting rates make it difficult to for the society to recognize sexual harassment as a form of sexual discrimination. Therefore, it is not easy to get the exact picture of sexual harassment across the world. This is partly because of the sexual nature of the conduct and the sensitivity of the issue in the society. However, sexual harassment is an issue that affects many countries across the globe. According to the European Commission report 2010, sexual harassment is a problem in Europe with 40 and 50 percent of female employees receive unwanted sexual advances. According to Fredman (59), the European Foundation that deals with improving the living and working conditions, sexual harassment is the crucial problem in most European countries. At least one-third of the women in the United States have experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lives. There are various examples of sexual harassment in the world. Cases have been reported in Africa, Europe, and the United States (Numhauser and Laulom 7). Reports of sexual harassment have been in Croatia, Denmark, Cyprus, the Middle East and Asia. This data suggests that sexual harassment is an issue that affect everyone on the globe (Gharaibeh 74). The global nature of the problem of sexual harassment requires that all countries work together towards combating the issue. Countries are reviewing their laws to include provisions that prohibit sexual harassment. In 1984, Australia enacted the Sex Discrimination Act that made sexual harassment a crime particularly in the workplace. The European Union developed a directive that recognized sexual harassment as a type of discrimination in 2002 (Vohlidaliva 1125). The present fight against sexual harassment continues to become more important in many parts of the world as countries continue to pass legislations that acknowledge and combat sexual harassment. In the past two years, countries such as Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam have enacted legislation to fight sexual harassment at work (Srirastava 175). Handling the issue in one area may affect other areas as well. For instance, if one country adopts a law to combat sexual harassment, other countries in the region also feel obliged to develop similar legislations to show their commitment to reducing sexual harassment. The number of people falling victims of sexual harassment continues to increase in many parts of the world for instance China (Srivastava 45). The increase in the cases may be because of the increasing focus on women as the prime victims and the low number of reported cases. The numbers of victims facing sexual harassment are not only increasing in women but also, in men. The rising cases of sexual harassment in the women call for immediate action. The action is needed given the urgency of the matter. If governments, organizations, and individuals do not take necessary action to combat sexual harassment, cases of the misconduct may continue to increase. Possible solutions to sexual harassment Combating global sexual harassment may include approaches that range from personal levels to organizational and government levels. Organizations and educational facilities should develop zero-tolerance policies towards sexual harassment (Carrie, Marilyn and Sandra 46). Such a strategy may be useful particularly if there is strict implementation of the policies and subsequent punishment of perpetrators of sexual harassment. The policies should provide a clear definition of sexual harassment and provide guidelines for handling the issue including reporting and grievance procedures. Organizations can also develop gender-specific programs that help explain and clarify what constitutes sexual harassment. Training and educational programs on sexual harassment among employees in organizations may help people understand sexual harassment and prevention measures. The training programs may also be extended to schools and colleges as these are areas prone to sexual harassment (Sondra 5). In assessing the effectiveness of training programs on sexual harassment, Sabitha (10) found that, “people’s perception towards sexual harassment towards women increased after training suggesting the method can be effective in combating the conduct.” Governments can help fight sexual harassment through the enactment of laws and development of policies that prohibit the issue. Provisions on sexual harassment must be explicit in the law. In the last few decades, both industrialized and developing countries have made advances to combat sexual harassment including countries where there was little recognition of the problem. The fight against sexual harassment started in the developed world with significant advances being made in the United States and the UK. Cases of sexual harassment reduced drastically after the development of laws against the conduct (Fredman 60). Due to the high level of development in terms of governance and resources, the developed world should at the forefront of fighting against sexual harassment in the world. According to “Development of laws against sexual harassment has proved to be effective in reducing sexual harassment. The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 was found to be effective in reducing cases of sexual harassment” (Mackay 190) The developed world can use its resources to develop legislation, court decisions, awareness-raising initiatives and workplace policies to handle the issue. At a regional level, the EU developed and adopted legally binding measures on sexual harassment. On the other hand, the organization of American States has addressed the issue in its convention on violence against women. At the international level, the problem of sexual harassment is recognized and addressed by a number of international bodies (McCann 1). International organizations and international agreements are playing a crucial role in combating sexual harassment at the international level. Most of the international initiatives to handle sexual harassment tend to conceptualize the problem as a type of sex discrimination and manifestation particularly towards women. Social partners are taking actions at the international level against sexual harassment. In 1998, a social partner in the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) developed an action plan to fight against sexual harassment. Within the United Nations, several interventions and treaties to combat sexual harassment through the Committee on the Elimination of discrimination against women. According to the committee, parties to the agreement will take legal actions and measures to protect victims of harassment. In 1995, the United Nations developed a platform for action that outlines the objectives, measures and actions towards perpetrators of sexual harassment. The platform urges governments, employers, community and nongovernmental organizations to eliminate sexual harassment (McCann 12). Sexual harassment in Bahrain Sexual harassment is a global issue facing most countries both in the developed and developing world including Bahrain. Bahrain is one of the country’s that is at the forefront of the fight against sexual harassment. According to the 2013 Human Rights Report on Bahrain, the country’s law prohibits sexual harassment with stringent penalties of up to one-year imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 dinars (270USD). There are also different penalties for suspects found guilty of committing sexual harassment in public. In 2012, the government of Bahrain stated that it had 86 reported cases of sexual harassment. Sixteen of the cases were taken to the court of which five victims were guilty and convicted. Bahrain is among countries in the Arab region that is adversely affected by sexual harassment (Komsan 8). Despite the fact that Bahrain government is enacting and enforcing laws on sexual harassment, it remains a social problem in the country. The problem of sexual harassment is particularly widespread among women in Bahrain mainly foreign residents who work in the country as domestic workers or workers in other low-level service jobs. Since the various approaches of dealing with sexual harassment have shown effectiveness in dealing with the problem, they can be adopted by Bahrain. The government of Bahrain is already implementing one approach to deal with sexual harassment by developing laws prohibiting the conduct. Conclusion Sexual harassment is cited as one of the critical global issues affecting the society. It is also evident that the number of sexual harassment victims as been increasing in most parts of the world. Males and females of different regions and ages are prone to sexual harassment. The adverse effects of sexual harassment on its victims prompt research to be conducted to resolve the issue. Combating sexual harassment requires actions from all stakeholders in the society affected by the problem. Development of policies, legislations, and action-based initiatives have proved to be possible solutions to sexual harassment. Most countries such as Bahrain are developing various approached to combat sexual harassment. However, since sexual harassment is a global problem, it is the responsibility of all countries to work together to stop sexual harassment and offer justice to victims. Works Cited Akhtar, Chesfeeda. 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