21 Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for Illinois Professionals, 2nd edition: Summary
Cortina and Areguin (2021) developed Cortina’s “Iceberg of Sexual Harassment” (https://nap. nationalacademies.org/visualizations/sexual- harassment-iceberg/) to elucidate the difference between “sexual” and “gender” harassment, with sexual harassment being more sexual coercion or attention (come-ons), and gender harassment being more “below the water line” identity-based putdowns. Cortina and Areguin propose that gender harassment has at its core a foundation of gendered contempt, with the goal to “put people down and push them out, not pull them into sexual activity.” What does this movement mean for the average American woman (and man) dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace? How can such harassment be prevented? How can we remember that although the majority of sexual harassment victims are women, it impacts men as well? How can we educate society so that they can comprehend that sexual harassment can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or hierarchical position within an organization? The American Association of University Women (AAUW) highlights the importance of allies in supporting individuals and raising cultural awareness. Allies can show their support by: • Truly appreciating the value of diversity • Being aware of colleagues behaving badly • Talking to HR if you witness discrimination • Sharing what you know • If you are a man, thinking of how you can help women at work • Refusing to fall into gendered roles • Being an ally at home • Proactively looking for inequities • Doing a thorough self-examination • Listening!
LEARNING TIP! As sexual harassment and
Diane Williams, an African American employee of the U.S. Justice Department, instigated one of the first court cases based on this act. Williams sued to regain her job after being wrongfully terminated because she refused to sleep with her boss. She was victorious, and her case set a precedent for women fighting against demands for sexual favors in exchange for conditions of employment. Over the years, more cases followed. Although not all women were victorious, it began to be noticed that sexual harassment was a legally prohibited type of discrimination that limited women’s opportunities in the workplace. Even though some advances have been made, sexual harassment continues to flourish in specific environments. One of the most significant occurrences in the struggle against sexual harassment in recent years was the emergence of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Although many people think the #MeToo movement was first used within the past few years, it was actually coined in 2006 by Tarana Burke, who used it as she was helping women of color from underprivileged communities who were survivors of sexual violence. Now, more than a decade later, the phrase has become the widely recognized slogan of the anti-sexual harassment movement. This movement has brought about the downfall of some of the most powerful men in business, entertainment, and politics. sexual discrimination have continued throughout the years, a glimmer of hope for change occurred when the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed. For the first time, federal legislation prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as discrimination based on race and religion.
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