I recently came across an amazing infographic backed by several reputable sources that outlines several eye-opening statistics surrounding the frequency and effects of sexual harassment in the workplace. This topic remains a problem in most of the world’s cultures in varying ways, but today I will focus on western cultures like the United States and Canada.

The MeToo movement began in 2006 by American activist Tarana Burke by using her own experience of sexual violence as a launch pad, but the booster rockets really launched it into orbit in 2017 with the viral #MeToo internet trope. If you are unfamiliar, the movement draws attention and awareness to toxic normalized sexual harassment in our culture, which is most often attributed to men victimizing women (though the roles can also be reversed and interchanged). Sexual harassment comes in many forms but can often be classified as passive and aggressive indirect or direct statements, intimidation tactics, blackmail, and physical non-consensual contact on a person.

According to the infographic’s sources, 69% of women have been sexually harassed in a professional setting, and that number rises to 81% over any aspect of their lives. So, when you’re standing in line at the grocery store cashier and you see five women ahead of you, remember that, statistically, four of those women have been sexually harassed at some point in their life. This may come as a shock to you, but that may be because only 28% of victims report sexual harassment incidents to their companies’ human resources department. I think this number is so low because of trust and lack of empathy from their superiors. Victims of sexual harassment have been indoctrinated into a system where incidents are often not treated seriously and 75% of employees that speak out against mistreatment have faced retaliation such as termination or halted professional growth (remember when I said intimidation and blackmail?). In addition, the sources show that only 1 in 3 employees feel inspired by their boss and only 64% of organizations offer any kind of sexual harassment training for their employees. But training is just the tip of the iceberg.

Actions speak louder than words ever will. Policies regarding sexual harassment should be enacted for the purpose of being used impartially, and not just to appease activists or critics. That is the true test of feeling safe from sexual harassment in a workplace. A woman should be able to trust that their coworkers will stand up for her when an incident occurs, or that her boss will follow the policies justly and without bias. Now, I am not saying that slip-ups can not happen, or that the perpetrator should be “drawn-and-quartered” for a passive non-malicious statement, but the real path to eradicating systemic workplace sexual misconduct is self-policing and growth. Self-reflection or peer-to-peer engagement can do wonders in establishing empathy. Innocent mistakes happen but it is important to learn from it. 

• Ask yourself, why was that inappropriate to say or do. 
• Ask your female employees, how can the workplace be improved to accommodate their need for safety and comfort. 
• Lastly, believe your coworkers when they share personal accounts of sexual harassment. 

Work should be a respectful and comforting place for all people, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or social class.