4 Practical Ways to Avoid Sexual Harassment

It's sad but true; sexual harassment is common in the workplace. A new survey found that 1 in 3 women between the ages of 18-34 has been sexually harassed at work.  Also, patterns show that occurrence vary by industry and job level, and both genders can be victims. This reality reminds us to be smart and to always protect ourselves. In today's post, we have written 4 practical ways to avoid sexual harassment at the office. Have a good read.     

4 Practical Ways to Avoid Sexual Harassment

Perverts abound everywhere and many wear suits.

In this part of the world, Nigeria, where gender scales in the boardrooms of many organisations are still tilted towards the males, many cases of sexual harassment abound with a lot of them unreported.

From verbal conducts like offensive and consistent cat-callings to physical touches in sensitive areas and sexual arm-twisting such as sex for favours, sexual harassment may present itself in a variety of forms.

Usually, for the victim, this turns out to be a difficult experience because of the psychological trauma and the challenge of dealing with the sexual harassment in such a way that it won’t stifle their business growth/ambitions and drain their self-confidence.

There are many different ways you can avoid sexual harassment, but the appropriate approach may very well depend on the peculiarity of your situation. Here are a few useful tips that may come in handy for when such an unsavoury situation presents itself:

1. Don’t give yourself a hard time

To be truthful, part of working together with men generally involves a lot of simple teasing and sometimes offhand comments. So, it is not unusual for many male staff to engage in cat-calls with some even teasing you about dates. It’s the way a lot of them relate, try not to sweat it as not all men are all sexual perverts. What you need do is stop sobering in your cubicle and find clever ways of dishing it back at them. However, if you are still not comfortable with avoiding sexual harassment with this tip, see number 2.

2. Be firm…when the situation demands it

Not all jokes are funny, tolerable and acceptable. And whenever you feel slighted this way, don’t hesitate to make your position known immediately to the party concerned.

It could be as simple as “OK, Femi, I don’t find that joke funny and I would appreciate it if you don’t do that again” or a serious “Emeka, you are making me feel uncomfortable”.

Your facial expression and voice tone should show firmness and amplify the seriousness of your statement. Say this out loud where there are people and you will see how the other party will start to take you seriously. Why? Because nobody likes to be accused of being a perv in public.

3. Don’t try to date someone at work

This is a bit dicey as you can’t really tell people where they should fall or not fall in love. But if you do fall in love with your boss or coworker, understand that there are inherent risk of sexual harassment especially if things in the relationship turn unsavoury and the other person happens to be higher in your organisation’s ladder. Count the costs and if you think it’s worth it, go ahead. Just remember it’s easier to avoid sexual harassment when you don’t make yourself a cocktail of business and pleasure.

4. Report if you feel cornered

Even after executing tips 1-3, are there pervs that won’t get off your back? Yes. In such a scenario, tell someone you trust and refer the case to the relevant authority which in this situation should be the HR of your organization. They are trained to deal with issues like sexual harassment with professionalism and discreetness.

1. However, if this doesn’t work out, file a formal complaint with senior management. And in the event that this also fails, find yourself good legal representation and slam the harasser with a lawsuit. That would work!