It ' s Time to End Sexual Harassment

August 09, 2017Health workers deal with stressful situations every day. Sexual harassment should no longer be one of them.Women account forthe majority of the health workforce globally. They distribute life-changing drugs to HIV-positive children, serve on the front lines of disease outbreaks, educate clients on family planning methods, and much more. Yet despite providing vital services, health workers are not adequately protected fromgender discrimination and sexual harassment.Sexual harassment is any physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature or based on sex or gender that is unwelcome, unwanted, pervasive, and interferes with equality of opportunity or working conditions. It occurs when a person ' s rejection of or submission to such conduct is used (explicitly or implicitly) as a basis for a decision that affects the person ' s job, employment, or working conditions, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or humiliating working environment.Whether it ’s a coworker making comments about a colleague’s figure or a supervisor extorting sex from a new employee, sexual harassment impedes equality in the workplace and causes lasting harm to those affected by it. The psychological health, physical well-being, and professional development of individu als who experience sexual harassment may be diminished. Sexual harassment in the workplace can also result in low productivity among employees, a poor work environment, and absenteeism.To promote gender equality and ...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news