Singing Sandra (Sandra des Vignes) in 1987 was a prophetess when she sang,

It have a lot of women just like me, who might not be so well off financially,
You need a job and you really need it bad, ah man decide to help you must be glad,
But if you value yourself as a woman, you will be demanding respect from the vagabond,
Stand up to them and let them know the truth, it work you want you are no blinking prostitute,
You have a mole on you back they want to see, they want to see if you have marks on you belly,
They want to know how much man you had before and if you are strong enough to take any more,
I have me pride and I have me ambition, I want to hold up me head up high as a woman,
So brother they could keep their money, I go keep my honey and die with my dignity!!

Today with twice as many women graduating as men, from The UWI why is this still a problem? On the job sexual harassment is a major tool for keeping women out of high paying, high status jobs. Hostile reception at some workplaces discourages them from entering. Men continue to privately victimize women. The public flare up at a large local firm is unusual and the woman involved paid the ultimate price of dismissal. Discrimination happens in the workplace. More women are harassed than men. What is harassment? It is unwelcome sexual advances (“pushing ah move”), requests for sexual favours (often with a promise of a favour being given in return), being put down or ‘cornered’ because of your gender (by jokes, verbal comment, showing obscene pictures or physical touching).

But gender-based discrimination has a power dynamic that is unique. It happens when men have power and seek to use it for their personal benefit at the expense of women. It happens up and down the chain of command. Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill was at the level of the US Supreme Court. Can a woman openly challenge a man? Why does she always have to be the one to change her routines? When she reports, why is it felt that she is trying to bring down a man or why is she treated as a traitor? The risk of reporting is huge; you can lose your job or get more hostility from a wider group of men. Do you know that half of all women in several surveys report that they have been harassed at work? Yet three-quarters of them do not report. You can lose your job by being accused of other things instead of the man accepting that he should not harass or touch.

What can organizations do?

• Listen to the complaints. Believe the women. Seek out the evidence.
• HR’s first duty is to protect the company but that includes ensuring a fair workplace that honours all contributions.
• Encourage men to speak up and to refuse to work with sexist peers.
• Push for change. Have clear policies and lines of action.
• Be particularly mindful of vulnerable women who work in areas away from the mainstream of activities.

What can women do?

• Inform the harasser that you do not like their actions.
• Check the company’s policies, report to another manager.
• Document. Write down what they did, where they did it, when it was done and who else was present. Write it down each time. HR departments and companies know the power of records.
• Keep copies of notes, pictures or whatever material offends. These are key pieces of evidence.
• Tell others. Write down who you told and when you told. Records are important.