SEXUAL HARASSMENT
A "PROPOSITION" FOR
REMEDIAL ACTION

BY MARLENE KADAR

Women in Alberta are organizing against sexual harassment. The Alliance Against Sexual Harassment, (AASH), an Edmonton based group was formed after a Women and Legal Reform Conference held in September, 1982. The following policy statement incorporates the definition of sexual harassment developed by AASH and outlines programs which would address the problems. The policy statement was developed by students in a Women's Program course at the University of Alberta.

POLICY STATEMENT: SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON CAMPUS -- ON THE JOB AND IN THE CLASSROOM

Produced by the Women' s Program Course 1220, University of Alberta, Instructor: M. Kadar.

Women, and men, are concerned about the problem of sexual harassment on campus. Constance Backhouse and Leah Cohen, leading Canadian authorities on the subject. suggest that at least 70% of all working women have suffered from sexual harassment at some time in their lives. Though no extensive surveys have been done, at least 10% of all students (both male and female) in Canada have suffered from sexual harassment at some time in their academic careers. 90% of the women in this course had suffered some form of sexual harassment -- ranging from obscene phone calls to sexual assault -- and none of the men reported having been sexually harassed. We realize that most victims of sexual harassment are women. High unemployment, a widening wage gap and limited job opportunities combine to place women in a vulnerable position in the work force. It is this vulnerability that ensures the perpetuation of sexual harassment in the work- place.

We support the contention that women's position in the labor force must be upgraded before the problem of sexual harassment will be eliminated. Ensuring women equal status in the work force is, however, a long and often slow process. Acknowledging that sexual harassment exists, and adopting measures with which to deal with it, are steps in the right direction.

We see sexual harassment as part of the continuum of violence against women, which serves to maintain our gender oppression. Sexual harassment is one way that men exercise power over women. It can be defined as, but not limited to, unwanted attentions and/or expectations of a sexual nature by action or innuendo.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexually-based or sexually oriented practice which creates discomfort and/or threatens a woman's personal well-being or functioning (mental, physical or emotional). Sexual harassment includes verbal abuse, jokes, leering, touching or any unnecessary physical contact, the display of pornographic material, invasion of personal space, sexual assault and rape, or any threat of retaliation or actual retaliation for any of the above.

Sexual harassment has been a hidden problem for a long time. This has caused women to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or ashamed to talk about personal incidents of harassment. They are afraid it will reflect poorly on their character, or that they will be perceived as somehow inviting propositions or trouble. When women do speak out they are often ignored, discredited or accused of misunderstanding a man's intentions. Many women, therefore, do not report incidents of harassment. They are afraid they will be ridiculed or that they will suffer repercussions. Unfortunately, these kinds of fears are justified. In more than half of the complaints registered in a Canadian provincial employees' union, no action was taken. In at least one third of those cases where complaints were complaints were files, negative repercussions followed.



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