ONE IN TWO WOMEN IN A WORKING PLACE ARE SEXUALLY HARASSED
Written by Celine Abuga on October 8, 2021
Now an online survey launched in January by a nonprofit called Stop Street Harassment offers some of that missing evidence. It found that 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetime.
New research from Women in News on sexual harassment in African media organizations highlights the scale of the problem – and the numbers make for worrying reading.
Conducted in eight countries in the continent and with 584 respondents, the research found women stay silent because of a fear of retaliation and a lack of faith that their organizations will do anything about their reports.
From different research it shows that its true women are the most sexually harassed compared to men
And the numbers support this thinking. The research found that of the cases reported, organizations took action only 42 per cent of the time. And even then, the most common response was to warn the perpetrator, followed by emotional support for the victim, dismissal of cases after review, and providing training for staff on sexual harassment.
Further, 56 per cent of women said they had been verbally harassed, with 38 per cent reporting physical harassment. For gender non-conforming individuals, one in two had been verbally harassed, and 36 per cent physically harassed.
Among men, one in five had experienced verbal sexual harassment and about one in 10 had faced physical harassment.
“We have a long way to go before staff are convinced and comfortable that if there are incidents of harassment, they can report them and action will be taken without their further victimization,” said WIN Africa Director Jane Godia.
Get full report here: https://wan-ifra.org/2021/07/new-research-shows-extent-of-sexual-harassment-in-african-media/
An investigative story by South African newspaper, Mail & Guardian exposed the full extent of how pervasive sexual harassment has become in Kenyan newsrooms and in the media industry generally. The story, Sex Monsters in the Newsroom, revealed accounts from Kenyan female journalists about how their bosses were demanding sexual favors in return for professional assistance or better working conditions.
Many female journalists have been open about their experiences, marking commendable progress for women’s rights and empowerment in the country.
This message is brought to you by sky FM in collaboration with Code for Africa’s ilab for Data Journalism program supported by DW Akademie.
