Gender Divide in the Workplace

Gender Divide in the Workplace

What are the effects of the gender divide in the workplace for women in the United States,

India, and the Philippines?

Cassidy Hermoso

Tallwood High School

Global Connection Senior Seminar 3B

Ms. Clouser

02/05/2022

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Table of Contents

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………… 4

Limitations………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Review of Literature…………………………………………………………………………….. 7

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………. 16

Gender Divide……………………………………………………………………………16

Sexual Harassment……………………………………………………………………… 16

The Effects……………………………………………………………………………… 18

United States……………………………………………………………………………. 19

Philippines………………………………………………………………………………. 19

India…………………………………………………………………………………….. 20

Changes to be made…………………………………………………………………….. 21

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 22

References……………………………………………………………………………………… 23

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Abstract

The world of women has experienced many challenges just because of their gender. Specifically,

sexual harassment and inequality in the workplace. Women still do not get the same opportunities

as men because men are seen as the more “dominant gender.” A woman can work in the same

position as a man and would have to work twice as hard to earn the same amount of pay. The

purpose of this paper is to highlight the issues of the gender divide and sexual harrasment in the

workforce. Over the years, more and more people are becoming aware of these issues but

businesses and corporations have done very little to make the workplace environment a more

comfortable and safe space. These sources reveal accounts from women that show how the

workplace environment isn’t always a safe place. They also provide information on ways

businesses and corporations can improve the workplace environment and laws that were created to

protect women.

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Introduction

“I have been working at a marketing company for two years. My boss, the marketing

director, has come into my office at least five times and touched his penis through his pants. At first

I thought he was scratching himself, but I have noticed that when we are in meetings with other

men, he does not do it. It is very deliberate and he always gets in a position in which I can see him

doing it. This company has no H.R. department. In the past, when an intern filed a case against my

boss for racist comments, the intern was paid off and fired. I don’t know what to do. I actually like

my job and what I do” (Bester, 2018). Women have to worry about the possibility of being

sexually harassed at not just work, but at any place, at any time. It is a recurring issue that is caused

by misogynistic behavior from men. Business and corporations need to be held accountable

because they don’t handle these situations the way they should be handled. Women also have to

worry about the imbalance of pay when they transition into the workforce. The world has gotten

used to the standard of men being the “dominant gender.” The world has never stopped to think

“How are women affected by the gender divide?” Women are negatively affected by the gender

divide because it takes a toll on their mental health, men are always in positions of power which

causes a gap in pay, and they’re confidence goes down because they are too afraid too speak up.

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Limitations of Study

I tried my best to write this paper to the best of my ability, however, there were some

difficulties along the way. These difficulties included lack of research on the LGBTQ and POC

community, inability to interview, COVID-19 pandemic, and biased research.

Lack of Research on LGBTQ and POC Community

This paper contains content discussing the LGBTQ and POC community. The gender

divide greatly affects women, especially women of color and women apart of the LGBTQ

community. When people think of the gender divide, they think of men and women. But, it is

much deeper than that. It is especially hard for women of color in the workforce because they are

already discriminated against because of their skin. The LGBTQ community is fairly new

compared to the average women so they are also facing additional discrimination. National

Partnership for Women and Families and NBC News were some of the only sources of

information I could find on women in the LGBTQ and POC community in the workplace. Women

of color often face intersecting forms of discrimination and harassment (National Partnership,

2021). Many avoid disclosing workplace sexual harassment because of the heightened risk of

retaliation, doubt, victim-blaming and other harmful, prejudiced responses (National Partnership,

2021). 46 percent of LGBTQ workers reported receiving unfair treatment at some point in their

careers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity — including being passed over for a

job, harassed at work, denied a promotion or raise, excluded from company events, denied

additional hours or fired (Avery, 2021). Women of color and women apart of the LGBTQ

community have added discrimination compared to the average women. Businesses and

corporations need to improve their treatment towards these groups of women so they’ll have the

same opportunities as the rest of their coworkers in the workplace.

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

High School Student

Being a high school student has limited my knowledge of the workplace environment. I

can only base my paper off of research and accounts of other women and their experiences. I don’t

have any experience of being a woman in the workforce so I cannot provide any personal

experiences of what it is like to experience the gender divide.

COVID-19 Pandemic

This pandemic has made it difficult to write my paper because it has limited the opportunity

to interview people in person. Interviewing would have to be virtually over zoom or communicate

through email. It has forced me to think of other ways to obtain first hand accounts of sexual

harassment and gender inequality in the workplace. The only other option was to research this

information myself instead of trying to interview.

Biased Research

Most of the articles I discovered were written mostly by women. There were less than a

handful of sources that were written by men. The conflict is that the world only gets to see the

gender divide from a woman's perspective. There needs to be more focus on men and the purpose

behind their actions towards women in the workplace. There is a lack of research on the man’s

perspective towards the gender divide and sexual harassment in the workforce because men are

usually on the guilty sides of the situation.

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Review of Literature

Gender Equality has been a worldwide issue for centuries. Women have always been

compared to men and looked down upon, especially in the workforce. Currently, women and

businesses are making an effort to reduce the divide between genders. Women have come a long

way, but there are still problems that need to be resolved. The countries that will be focused on in

this paper are the United States, India, and the Philippines. The reason why these countries will be

discussed is due to their differences when it comes to their situation with the gender divide and

women’s rights. This Literature Review, with the information of multiple sources, gives an

overview of 4 main topics discussing Gender Divide and how it affects women in different

countries. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize how big of an impact the gender divide has on

women and will also discuss the contents of complications they face. This can include sexual

harassment, work environment, and political laws passed in countries.

Gender Divide in the Workforce

The gender divide, or gender gap, describes the disparity between different genders in

society, and in turn the labor market and business world, including inequality of opportunity, pay,

progression, and benefits (IZA World Labor, 2021). Countries around the world experience effects

from the gender divide, some more severe than others. The United States, Philippines, and India

vary significantly when it comes to issues relating to the gender divide. Struggle with the gender

divide in the workforce is one of the most significant problems that women face in India. A report

by the World Bank suggested that less than a quarter of women in India have joined the labour

force and only one-fifth are employed (Rana, 2021). Indian women experience a gap in pay as a

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

result from not joining the labour force. This wage inequality presents a serious challenge for India

to achieve decent work conditions and inclusive growth. (Sheroff, 2020).

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) summarizes that gender pay gap refers to the

difference in average wages between all women and all men who are engaged in paid employment

(Shroff, 2020). Based on hourly wages, women earn, on average, 65.5% of what their male

colleagues earn for performing the same work (Catalyst, 2020). An article from “The

Conversation” proposes a solution that can improve the conditions in the workplace and reduce the

divide between genders. Increasing representation of women in the public spheres is important and

can potentially be attained through some form of affirmative action, an attitudinal shift is essential

for women to be considered as equal within their homes and in broader society (Sharma, 2016).

Educating Indian children from an early age about the importance of gender equality could be a

meaningful start in that direction.The United States has a very different experience when it comes

to the gender divide (Sharma, 2016). Women in the workforce in the United States have similar

problems to women in India and the Philippines however, the circumstances in the United States

aren’t as severe as other countries. Even though the gender divide still exists, the United States has

improved with women having more reasonable pay and representation in the workforce. The

gender gap in pay has remained relatively stable in the United States over the past 15 years or so.

In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of

median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers (Brown, 2021).

Although women earn more than half of what men earn compared to the past, women must

work twice as hard as men to earn the same amount as they make. Based on this estimate, women

in the United States would need to work an extra 42 per year to earn what men did in 2020

(Brown, 2021). Business News Daily has provided useful information that will solve the issue of

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

the gender divide in workplaces. Create an employee compensation program that is fair, equitable

and transparent. Offer your employees equal pay for equal work, regardless of their gender

(Schooley, 2022). This is one of the most obvious and easy ways you can work towards gender

equality in your workplace (Schooley, 2022). This article suggests that creating a more diverse

workplace will lead to less of a gender divide. Work toward a diverse and equitable workplace by

creating accurate and inclusive job descriptions, sourcing a gender-diverse candidate pipeline, and

conducting fair interviews (Schooley, 2022).

The gender divide in the Philippines has improved very little with regards to the issue of

gap in pay. In the Philippines, the estimated proportion of women’s annual earnings to men’s

annual earnings stands at less than 60% (Investing in Women, 2013). Despite the lack of

improvement, this source has laid out solutions to resolve the gap in pay. Key mechanisms for

attaining inclusive growth for women require expanding employment opportunities and decent

work outcomes for women to promote gender equality in labour markets (Investing in Women,

2013).

Aftermath of #Metoo Movement

Me Too — The Me Too movement seeks to show survivors of sexual abuse that they are

not alone. It also helps to improve awareness about sexual violence, by showing just how

widespread sexual harassment and assault really are (Maryville University, 2021). The trending

twitter hashtag gave women the courage to speak up and tell their stories. This source discusses the

effects that came after these Indian women shared their stories with the world. An article written by

Rituparna Chatterjee explains the aftermath of the #Metoo movement. These women talked about

how men they once thought could be trusted assaulted them. Men felt threatened by this action and

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

retaliated. Men launched lawsuits against women in the hope they will serve as warnings

(Chatterjee, 2020). Unfortunately, with these types of lawsuits, women don’t get the justice that

they deserve. Because they tend to occur in private spaces, most acquaintance sexual harassment

cases are difficult to prove in court and aren’t taken seriously by the police (Chatterjee, 2020). The

treatment of these cases force women to stay silent because of the distrust they have for authority.

Main idea of this article is to showcase how women are treated in sexual assault cases and

showcase how the #Metoo movement encouraged women around the world to speak out.

The #Metoo movement has made a big impact on society in America. Four years after the

reporting that launched the #MeToo social movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment

into the spotlight, nearly half of Americans say the recent attention to sexual misconduct has had a

positive impact on the United States overall, and 61% think it has been beneficial for women

(APNORC.ORG, 2021). Since the #Metoo movement, companies and businesses have taken

action to stop sexual misconduct in workplaces.

However, there is still a conflict between men and women and how this movement has

impacted them. Thirty-one percent of women say the focus on sexual misconduct has had a

positive impact on them personally, compared with 23% of men (APNORC.ORG, 2021).

Ultimately, the #Metoo movement led to a positive change in workplace environments. Over the

past year, more than half of employed Americans have received training on workplace harassment

and a third have discussed sexual misconduct with others. About a quarter report having changed

their behavior toward other people (APNORC.ORG, 2021). The #Metoo movement has greatly

impacted the Philippines. The movement has inspired Filipina women to speak up against men in

power, most specifically against the misogyny and the sexist behavior of Philippine president

Rodrigo Duterte (Gutierrez, 2018). The president is extremely popular despite making rape jokes,

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

catcalling female journalists, kissing women on the lips during public appearances, boasting about

his past affairs, and attacking his female critics (Gutierrez, 2018). These Filipina women have used

their platforms on social media to make their voices heard. On social media, advocates started the

hashtag #BabaeAko ("I am a woman") and #LalabanAko ("I will fight back"), The hashtag

encouraged women to stand in solidarity with all women the president has criticized and

objectified, and to condemn his repeated misogyny (Gutierrez, 2018). This movement has had a

positive influence on not just Filipina women but women around the world and inspires them to

share their stories and make a difference.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favors

or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel offended, humiliated

and/or intimidated, where a reasonable person would anticipate that reaction in the circumstances

(Australian Human Rights Commission, 2021). Women must come face to face with this obstacle,

especially in the workplace. Unlike the other countries, the Philippines there have been very few

publicized sexual harassment cases in the workplace where the investigations are known by the

public (Cruz, 2018). This article discusses the #ITSNOTOKAY movement in the Philippines and

it’s impact on women. In the workplace, reporting cases of sexual harassment can be

career-threatening or career-ending. Victims are subjected to alienation, ridicule, bullying and

discrimination (INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2020).

Women are too scared to come forward because it puts their job at risk. Jessica Udani, a

gender equality and anti-gender-based violence advocate, recalls her experience with sexual

harassment in the workplace (INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2020). Jessica recalled how a male

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colleague made an inappropriate remark about rape towards her and other female officemates

(INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2020). Jessica, a sexual abuse survivor, felt genuinely threatened by

what the male colleague assumed was a harmless joke (INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2020). This

experience ended with Jessica and her coworker having a meeting with the boss and no one

pressed charges (INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2020). This source reviewed ways to combat sexual

harassment in the workplace. Shifting norms and behaviour requires collective efforts from

concerned parties, including the private sector, to adjust behaviour and attitudes in the workplace,

and develop a gender-balanced work environment that is free of sexual harassment (INVESTING

IN WOMEN, 2020). The PBCWE assists companies by providing training, policy-review

services, networking opportunities and capacity building programs designed to shift workplace

cultures, practices, and barriers to achieve workplace gender equality (INVESTING IN WOMEN,

2020). It helps create workplaces that are not only optimal for both women and men, but that also

increase productivity, employee retention and profitability in the long run (INVESTING IN

WOMEN, 2020). The Institute for Women’s policy research evaluates sources regarding situations

in the United States dealing with sexual harassment.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) states that “unwelcome

sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual

nature constitutes sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an

individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or

creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment” (U.S. EEOC 2018a). This article

identifies factors that put women at a higher risk for sexual harassment. Identifying work-related

factors associated with increased risk of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace may help

target efforts to eliminate sexual harassment in particular occupations and situations. Some key risk

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

factors include: Working for tips, working in male-dominated environments, working in a setting

with significant power imbalances, meaning the boss is in a position of power and the workers are

looked down upon (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2018). The source concludes the article

with ways to address sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers should ensure that discipline

for perpetrators of workplace harassment is prompt, consistent, and proportionate to the severity of

the circumstance; Employers should conduct assessments for the risk factors associated with sexual

harassment and assault and conduct climate surveys to assess the extent to which harassment is a

problem within their organization; and Employers should train middle-management and

supervisors on how to respond effectively to observed instances of sexual harassment (Investing in

Women’s Policy, 2018). The following source examines sexual harassment and how it should be

addressed in the workplace in India. Strengthening enforcement mechanisms outlined in the POSH

Act of 2013, ensuring effective implementations across organised and unorganised sectors,

developing a policy framework for challenging existing socio-cultural attitudes towards sexual

harassment, holding public and private organisations accountable for creating an environment that

allows victims of workplace sexual harassment to bring their claims forward with confidence,

expanding the criteria of who can be considered a victim of sexual harassment by including other

genders in legal frameworks addressing workplace sexual harassment (Jhavari, 2021).

Laws Protecting Women Against Sexual Harassment

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

These sources evaluate laws that protect women against sexual harassment. This source

discusses protection against sexual harassment in India. The Vishaka guidelines were the first legal

frameworks that recognised protection from sexual harassment in the workplace as the

responsibility of employers (Tejani, 2004). The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace

(Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (POSH Act) was developed in 2013 (Usman, 2019).

Under the POSH Act, sexual harassment is defined as including “any one or more of the following

unwelcome acts or behavior (whether directly or by implication) namely:— (i) physical contact and

advances; or (ii) a demand or request for sexual favours; or (iii) making sexually coloured remarks;

or (iv) showing pornography; or (v) any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct

of sexual nature.” The Act covers public and private organisations, as well as workers in formal

and informal sectors (Usman, 2019). This source reviews laws that protect women in the

workplace in the Philippines. AN ACT DECLARING SEXUAL HARASSMENT

UNLAWFUL IN THE EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION OR TRAINING ENVIRONMENT,

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the

“Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (Republic of the Philippines, 2021).” This source presents

the law in America that aims to prevent women from being sexually harassed in the workplace.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) makes it illegal for employers to allow

anyone to be sexually harassed at work by anyone else, regardless of sex, gender, or sexual

orientation (Equal Rights Advocates, 2021).

Conclusion

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

What all sources had in common is that they discussed, the gender divide or sexual

harassment, what it is and how the problem should be resolved, and vey few mentioned results

from the solutions that were suggested. Although there are laws and solutions that are expected to

solve the problem of the gender divide and sexual harassment in the workplace, but most of these

sources don’t have any proof of results. These issues will take time for them to be resolved but it is

important to make efforts to make the situation better.

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Gender Divide in the Workplace

Discussion

Gender Divide

The gender divide, or gender gap, describes the disparity between different genders in

society, and in turn the labor market and business world, including inequality of opportunity, pay,

progression, and benefits (IZA World Labor, 2021). The gender divide has been a reoccurring

issue for women since women were able to work. In 1960, women only earned about 61 cents for

every $1 that a man took home, a number that ticked up to 82 cents by 2018—but that still leaves

another 18 cents to go overall. Researchers blame the gender wage gap on a variety of reasons,

ranging from differences in the industries women and men work in, racist hiring and discriminatory

promotion practices, discrepancies in hours worked, job segregation, and years of experience. The

government also does little to create policies making workplaces and institutions like schools more

supportive of women (Sweet, 2021).

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and

other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment,

according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC, 2021). Sexual harassment

can happen at any place at any time but mostly occurs in the workplace. Sexual harassment is one

of many manifestations of power imbalances in the workplace. It affects women and men across

industries and occupations (National Partnership, 2021). There are two types of sexual harassment

in the workplace: quid pro quo and hostile work environment. Quid pro quo is any form of sexual

harassment that involves an exchange of sexual activities for a favor/benefit or prevention of a

threat. Quid pro quo harassment often happens between someone with a different level of power or

authority, such as a supervisor or an interviewer, and a junior employee or candidate (H&R

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Compliance, 2020). A few examples of quid pro quo sexual harassment is asking for sexual favors

in exchange for promotion, prevent job loss, and easier or fewer job assigments. A hostile work

environment, on the other hand, is any form of repetitive behavior that creates an intimidating

working environment for the victim. Hostile work environment sexual harassment encompasses all

types of situations that cause someone to feel emotionally distressed at work. Some hostile work

environment sexual harassment examples are comments and jokes with a sexual nature, sharing

inappropriate content with sexual innuendo, unwelcome sexual advances or physical conduct such

as groping ,inappropriate touching, sexual assault or sexual violence (H&R Compliance, 2020).

Sexual harassment has a very long history dating back as long as women have worked

outside their own homes. Throughout the 19th century, most women who worked for pay did so as

domestic servants, an employment setting in which women regularly endured sexual assault and

harassment at the hands of their employers with little to no recourse (Hamlin, 2021). By the early

20th century, women entered offices as secretaries. Previously “secretary” had been a male job,

sort of like an apprentice, but the job became feminized thanks to new devices like the typewriter,

which gave rise to a whole new category of mundane tasks for which women were deemed

uniquely suited. Thanks to decades of feminist activism, sexual harassment became recognized as a

form of sex discrimination in the mid-1970s (Hamlin, 2021). This breakthrough gave women the

power they needed to move into higher positions in the workforce. At the same time and thanks to

the same feminist advances, more women entered high-paying and high-status positions (Hamlin,

2021). Unfortunately as women are making these remarkable achievements, men feel that women

shouldn’t be in those power positions. In response, new forms of sexual harassment emerged in the

1980s to keep women from these all-male realms (Hamlin, 2021). The power imbalance between

men and women has been an ongoing conflict for years. Over time this situation has slowly gotten

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better but hasn’t fully been resolved. While sexual harassment is increasingly being recognized in

the national dialogue, it is nothing new – and over time it has negatively impacted women’s

workplace opportunities and career decisions, resulting in significant and often overlooked

financial consequences. Preventing and effectively addressing workplace sexual harassment is one

way to help close the gender wage gap and promote women’s financial security (National

Partnership, 2021).

The Effects

Sexual harassment can impede a woman’s job performance, workplace advancement and

earnings. Many women who experience sexual harassment at work report increased anxiety and

depression, which is associated with lower productivity and poorer performance at work. Some

report experiencing a decline in job involvement and satisfaction, as well as increases in

absenteeism, turnover, early retirement and a range of negative health outcomes (National

Partnership, 2021). Women in workplaces that do not address sexual harassment may feel less

empowered to negotiate salaries and raises, depressing their long-term earnings and advancement.

Many women take pay cuts and make sacrifices that harm their careers to escape sexual

harassment. Women who have been sexually harassed at work report significant disruption and

financial stress, comparable to the financial stress of individuals who have experienced other major

negative events such as serious injury, assault or incarceration (National Partnership, 2021).

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United States

The gender gap in pay has remained relatively stable in the United States over the past 15

years or so. In 2020, women earned 84% of what men earned, according to a Pew Research

Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers. Based on this

estimate, it would take an extra 42 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2020 (Brown,

2020). Although the gender gap continues to improve, it is still an existing problem. Even though

women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs traditionally dominated by men, such

as professional and managerial positions, women as a whole continue to be overrepresented in

lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce. This may contribute to gender

differences in pay. Other factors that are difficult to measure, including gender discrimination, may

also contribute to the ongoing wage discrepancy (Barraso, 2020). In terms of sexual harassment,

63% of women did not file a complaint, and 79% of men kept issues to themselves. 7 in 10 people

believe their companies do not take sexual harassment seriously. According to victims who have

reported harassment, 95% of the men go unpunished (H&R Compliance).

Philippines

Compared to other countries the Philippines is doing relatively well on the issue of gender

gap. However, the gender gap still exists as a problem for working women. The Philippines is the

only ASEAN country to make it to the top ten of the Global Gender Gap Index 2018—placing 8th

(INVESTING IN WOMEN, 2019). Despite the positive efforts to close gaps in the country’s

economic, education, health and political sectors; and the obvious appetite for gender equality, it is

remarkable that a study by Jobstreet—an online recruitment portal–found that a gender pay gap

persists. Data collected from 6,971 skilled workers shows that on average, male employees in the

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Philippines earn ₱ 5,000 or AU$143 more than their female counterparts (INVESTING IN

WOMEN, 2019).

India

The gender gap is prevalent in workplace environments in India. Various studies have

indicated a gender gap in India. According to a report by TeamLease, more than 72% of women

feel gender discrimination is still prevalent at workplace. They attribute the unfairness to privileges

men receive both at organizational and societal level, pro men practices, male dominated peer

ecosystem, and skewed career advancement pathways. A recent World Economic Forum report

shows that only 14.3% of science researchers in India are women, and the country’s ratio is worse

than that of countries in West Asia (Business & Human Rights, 2016). In India, data from the

National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) shows that the percentage of women working in

finance, insurance, real estate and business services, which includes informational technology

services, is only 13.4% across rural and urban populations (Business & Human Rights, 2016). A

2017 survey by the Indian National Bar Association of over 6,000 employees—the largest

conducted so far in India—found that sexual harassment was pervasive in different job sectors,

ranging from lewd comments to an outright demand for sexual favors. Most women, it found,

chose not to report sexual harassment to management because of stigma, fear of retribution,

embarrassment, lack of awareness of reporting policies, or lack of confidence in the complaints

mechanism. It also found that most organizations still failed to comply with the law, or members of

Internal Committees did not understand the process adequately. There are no studies in India that

document the extent to which sexual harassment in the workplace contribute to women leaving

their jobs. “There are anecdotal sources,” said journalist Namita Bhandare who wrote a multi-part

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investigation series for IndiaSpend, a data journalism website, on this phenomenon. “Girls don’t

want to talk about sexual harassment because they fear that their families will just ask them to stop

working. There is no data or a substantive quantitative study on sexual harassment, and none at all

in the informal sector (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Based on the research from this source, the

situation in India compared to other countries is one of the worst. The #Metoo movement had a

more negative impact on this country. The government of India has done very little to emphasize

and protect these victims of sexual harassment. There are laws out there but none of them have

been enforced.

Changes to be made

What victims of harassment have in common is that their harassers go unpunished.

Businesses and corporations have to change the way they handle sexual harassment in their work

environment. There are resolutions that can solve this problem. Encourage victims to come forward

by setting clear definitions about sexual harassment in the workplace through regular training and

updating your sexual harassment policy to include concrete steps on reporting harassment.

Organizations need to do a better job in cultivating a culture to show that it’s encouraged to file

sexual harassment complaints. Beyond just creating a strict anti-harassment policy, regular sexual

harassment training and prompt action against a harassment charge are needed. Women’s sexual

harassment charges need to be taken seriously and promptly investigated. Sexual harassment

prevention efforts also need to be improved to prevent further negative effects on female

employees and improve job satisfaction (H&R Compliance). Businesses and corporations also

need to resolve the issue of the gender gap in the workplace. Creating gender equality in the

workplace starts with your recruitment process. Work toward a diverse and equitable workplace by

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creating accurate and inclusive job descriptions, sourcing a gender-diverse candidate pipeline, and

conducting fair interviews. Create an employee compensation program that is fair, equitable and

transparent. Offer your employees equal pay for equal work, regardless of their gender. Train your

employees on what is and isn't acceptable in the workplace. Have your employees attend a

diversity training program customized to your business to address potential biases and prejudices

within your organization (Schooley, 2022). There are also laws in place to combat sexual

harassment, as mentioned in the review of literature.

Conclusion

In the workplace environment, businesses and corporations need to be held accountable for

the mistreatment of women. This environment also has to be made more safe and comfortable for

women. Once women transition into the workforce, they need to worry about the gap in pay and

the possibility of being sexually harassed in the workplace. Men need to change their behavior and

outlook towards women and treat them as equal in the workplace. However, changes cannot be

made unless there is a collective group effort.

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References

Angara, E. J. (1995, February 14). Republic act 7877: Anti-sexual harassment act of 1995.

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