In today's world, gender equality has made significant strides, enabling women to actively participate alongside men in different areas of daily life. However, in Bangladesh, women working alongside male colleagues often face significant challenges due to frequent instances of harassment, both physical and mental. Negotiating these spaces becomes difficult for women as harassment becomes a prevalent issue that affects their professional and personal well-being.
Sexual harassment manifests in various forms in the workplace, ranging from verbal abuse and unwelcome advances to physical assault and coercion. Women frequently endure unwanted attention, lewd comments, and inappropriate behaviour from colleagues, supervisors, and even clients or customers. This hostile work environment not only causes immense psychological distress but also undermines women's confidence, productivity, and overall well-being.
Women who have experienced their bosses' lewd behaviour or a teacher's inappropriate advances suffer the repulsiveness of their demeanour, the offensiveness of their language, and the brutality of their physical contact. Many choose not to report such incidents out of fear of humiliation and jeopardizing their job security. However, despite underreporting, some women come forward to lodge complaints against sexual harassment in workplaces.
One of the primary challenges in addressing sexual harassment in workplace is the prevailing culture of silence and stigma surrounding the issue. Many women fear retaliation, victim-blaming, and social ostracism if they speak out against their perpetrators. Moreover, the lack of robust reporting mechanisms and support systems further exacerbates the problem, leaving victims feeling isolated and powerless.
According to a survey conducted by CARE Bangladesh, more than 60 per cent of government jobs are reserved for women, and women are increasingly finding opportunities in non-governmental organisations. The survey revealed that 12.70 per cent of women have experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces. However, this figure is likely to be much higher as the survey only included those who had come forward and reported their experiences of workplace harassment.
Eradicating sexual harassment in workplace requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the root causes of gender inequality, challenges harmful social norms, and promotes accountability and justice for survivors. By creating safe, equitable, and respectful workplaces, we can empower women to fully participate and thrive in workforce, free from the fear of harassment and discrimination.
Despite existing laws to protect female employees working alongside males and various campaigns by non-governmental organisations addressing gender discrimination and sexual harassment, the situation remains largely unchanged due to slow implementation of these laws and the reluctance of many women to file complaints out of concern for their self-respect. Immediate remedial action by authorities is imperative to address sexual harassment at workplace.
Md Nezam Uddin,
nijambd118@gmail.com