Sexual Harassment in the Work Place and Gender Inequality

Abbas, Sammar. “All Males Are the Same: Exploring Workplace Harassment of Female Employees.” Pakistan Journal of Women’s Studies, vol. 24, no. 24, 2017, pp. 47-65. EBSCOhost, http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.ung.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=735b46f2-7f65-434d-8b37-4967f7b3929f%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=sih&AN=127020504

Abbas, in “All Males Are the Same: Exploring Workplace Harassment of Female Employees,” addresses the issue of workplace sexual harassment towards females, which is common in many countries, specifically the Middle East.

The article explores how workplace sexual harassment towards women contributes to the cause of gender inequality. Abbas supports his claim with numerous case studies. First, his findings suggest that workplace harassment is a universal problem embedded within societal traditions. Second, he examines how the unequal treatment of women is inevitable due to the dominance of religious and cultural perspectives. Third, he explains how men, possessing higher social and economic power, contribute to workplace issues such as sexual harassment and gender inequality. As a result, sexual harassment among women is due to the values and cultural aspects embedded in society, leading to gender inequality in the workplace.

Abdel- Hameid, Shahira. “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.” Ahfad Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, June 2009, pp. 3-24. EBSCOhost, http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.ung.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=23&sid=735b46f2-7f65-434d-8b37-4967f7b3929f%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=55486486

Abdel-Hameid, in “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” reveals how violence, particularly sexual harassment towards women, has a negative impact on them and contributes to economic, physical, and psychological problems. Abdel-Hameid supports his claim with a variety of qualitative analyses, derived from interviews with both women and men in the workforce. First, he explains the different types of harassment women may experience in the workplace, such as verbal harassment, and how it is used as a form of intimidation. Second, he analyzes how sexual harassment is often accompanied by a culture of silence, which suggests that the victim might have provoked the harasser in some way. Intimidation is then used to make the victim believe that they are at fault. Third, he states the complications women may face when reporting their harasser to top management due to lack of sufficient evidence which leads to a ‘his word against hers’ scenario. As a result, sexual harassment, as perceived by numerous women, is unwelcome and unacceptable. It contributes to a sense of insecurity and creates an unhealthy workplace environment. The problems generated can also lead to emotional distress depending on how the harassment is handled. I will use this article to describe the negative impacts sexual harassment has on women in the workplace.

Carstensen, Gunilla. “Sexual Harassment Reconsidered: The Grey Zone.” Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, vol. 24, no. 4, 2016, pp. 267-280. EBSCOhost, http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.libproxy.ung.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=b38bb784-3ff0-4fbb-910f-314c363725bc%40pdc-v-sessmgr06

Carstensen infers that understanding the term “sexual harassment” can lead to gender equality within the workplace. To support her claim, Carstensen employs multiple sociological studies underpinned by key terms. First, in referencing the concept of sexual harassment, she elaborates on the relationship between the terms “subjective” and “objective”. Second, she further explicates how altering perceptions of women — particularly how they are regarded by their male coworkers, such as sexual objects — can be impactful. Third, she proposes that there is insufficient awareness supporting women to come forward and report sexual harassment. Nevertheless, Carstensen implies that if a victim considers an instance as sexual harassment but doesn’t report it, it may not be interpreted as the victim presents it. Consequently, grasping the terms related to sexual harassment can expedite gender equity in the workforce. I will use this reference to analyze how sexual harassment within the workplace can be resolved.

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