https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sexual-harassment-work-reporting_n_5e5e86e0c5b67ed38b394564
“A man once told me, shortly after college, that because of my curves, I would always be regarded as ‘sexual’ both in and out of the workplace. He sat back, folded his arms, and said, ‘That’s just the way it is.’ I’d quipped, ‘I can’t exactly leave my breasts at home before I go to work.’ And even if I could, there should be no reason to.“
This article describes the sexual harassment experienced by this female worker, who was cornered by an overly-intoxicated, older, male coworker. He made inappropriate comments about “keeping it between them” and her “needing more drinks to loosen up.” The man was cornering her and her friend in a clearly predatory way, and resulted in her calling her supervisor and then leaving the bar, with the coworker clearly angry. Upon returning to work, a meeting room booking was cancelled for the woman by her harasser, and the manager threatened her with the fact that, “he has a lot of friends around here.” How is she supposed to feel comfortable reporting her harassment when there are such clear repercussions for reporting, yet very unclear benefits?
“Having left jobs and burnt professional bridges because I reported or stood up to former harassers, I have also begun to theorize that sexual harassment contributes to the wage gap. After all, women cannot remain working for a company long enough to climb up the corporate ladder if they are constantly fleeing their colleagues’ wandering hands.”
This relates to the discussion question posed for Tuesday 3/10 regarding whether we see any tensions in our future regarding joining the workforce. Not only can I foresee tensions regarding pursuing a career while still prioritizing family life, I now see that there are other barriers facing women in the workforce that men simply do not face, and that have yet to be addressed in any real and effective way.