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Francis Mupazviriho Correspondent
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines sexual harassment as “sex based behaviour that is unwelcome and offensive to its recipient”. Quid pro quo situations and a hostile working environment are further cited as conditions for sexual harassment to occur, according to a number of ILO publications.

The ILO also notes that this conduct of a sexual nature making a person humiliated or intimidated is often done through unwelcome touching, sexually suggestive comments, unwanted invitations for sex, insults of a sexual nature and other forms of offensive behaviour under criminal law.

Two incisive news articles entitled — “Female teachers raise GBV red flag” and “Sexual harassment rampant in Zimbabwe” in The Herald of 12 December, 2017 and NewsDay edition of 19 December, 2017 were on point in showing the extent of the endemic sexual harassment problem.

In The Herald story, the teachers who alleged to be victims of sexual harassment, cited emotional and psychological effects of abuse and called for stiffer penalties to address the problem and for disciplinary structures to take their reports seriously given their gravity and at times damaging nature.

Despite well laid out internal and external mechanisms to refer cases of harassment for disciplinary purposes, it is quite evident most victims, or rather survivors of harassment conceal their ordeals for fear of the unknown.

This explains why those often harassed only disclose ordeals way later often at confided religious meetings, conference, in newspapers and more recently through social media.

Citing surveys conducted by the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) on workplace sexual harassment, NewsDay hinted that 14 percent of a sampled population indicated having been sexually harassed at work, with 48 percent having witnessed a colleague being sexually harassed at the workplace and 26 percent saying they were not aware of how to address the problem.

Notwithstanding academic concerns likely to emerge questioning the reliability and the validity of data, due to factors including funding and intention of the research, methodology and so on, it is, however, clear that sexual harassment is quite an issue across the board and not only endemic in Zimbabwe, but world over.

Most cases remain swept under the carpet, with the few which make it to scandalous newspaper headlines being the reference point.

While women are largely victims, men can equally be victims of sexual harassment. This could constitute a female work colleague making sexually suggestive advances towards a male.

Unfortunately and in default terms, harassment is largely synonymous with untoward behaviour from male to female persons and this is perfectly why one is often not taken seriously for complaining of abuse from a female counterpart.

In fact it would be a torrid task, if not laughable at times of reporting such, despite the gravity of the sexual allegations being levelled. Whatever the case may be, harassment occurs to anyone.

Any talk of sexual harassment is incomplete without reference to abuse of authority and power relations.

Power relations are inherently about quid pro quo (something for something) arrangements and there is no doubt that this often begins with making sexual innuendos and finally pestering for sex, which becomes the bargaining tool for someone who stands to “benefit” from the benevolence of someone with a latitude of power, in whichever setting.

This culture has bespeaking of a moral tragedy, is nonetheless saddening. There are many tales of those who have risen to organisational hierarchies through deceitful means. Even married people have not been spared.

While sexual harassment is prevalent, we must, however, not fall into the trap of stigmatisation of women, for any upward mobility especially at the workplace.

We must leave with the reality of empowered, competitive, strong and intelligent and professional women who are not barricaded by skewed gender stereotypes.

Then there is the problem of limited opportunities which also cause sexual harassment. Today, young people coming out of tertiary institutions are often confronted with a likelihood of landing the job at times after paying through unceremonious means.

It is these scenarios which often confronted job seekers with that option, or alternatively being miserable for their entire lives, especially when the opportunities in the intended area remain few.

Even those in full employment, or at least having some form of income from whatever economic work they do, have not also been spared. Largely workers earning low salaries have had to put an extra-energy to cover deficits. We see the industrious ones going out their way trying to make extra money. This has created a potential for sexual harassment.

Even some profound moralists and ethicists have bent characters here and there for want of economic opportunities, at times quite elusive.

In other terms, this has also been the cause for exchange of petty bribes by those holding some offices, doing something at least after having paid a few dollars. There is no doubt that sexual harassment and corruption even in its petty sense, are dully linked, but both without moral justifications often overshadowed by situations giving the incentive to act in those manners.

The dilemma, however, is that at times the one with the power to make things happen is not the initiator of acts which may constitute sexual harassment. At times advances are equally made by recipients of rewards, unbelieving that they can get whatever they have attained without going an extra mile of appreciating the deeds in a certain manner.

Largely, this has been evidence of casualisation of sex as a transactive mechanism between persons engaging in economic activities, whether good or bad. These realities have been an evidence of vulnerability even by those gainfully employed, but in need of gains here and there, in terms of favours including promotion, consideration for trips and so on.

It would in fact seem that gone are the days of goodwill, when a mere thank you would be suffice for appreciation. Our values have all but gone. Zimbabwe how did we get to this? We knew not this culture.

Even female tertiary students attached to different organisations are victims of sexual harassment. Equally male students are equally vulnerable especially when coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It is, however, the girl child who is largely at risk of sexual harassment from prying superiors.

While some of our students put themselves up in a prevaricating manner at the workplace, opening themselves to sexually suggestive innuendos, it is trite, however, to emphasise that abuse of authority at the workplace is never right at all and there is never justification at all.

Gender Based Violence awareness efforts now need to be escalated to the work environment, more than before, especially during in 2018 and going forward.

In their report entitled, “A Situational Analysis of Knowledge, Application and Gaps on Women Workers Rights in Zimbabwe”, for 2016-2020 period, ILO Zimbabwe and Namibia Country Office note that progress on equality remains inadequate, even 20 years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration on Women’s Rights.

When sexual harassment occurs at the workplace, it often gives an aura of invincibility to those with powers to make things happen. Many times you hear about those creating sexual fiefdoms at workplaces and some boasting of having bedded literally half of female subordinates across the hierarchy.

Adulthood in general brings with itself sexual freedoms, especially between two consenting persons over the legal age of majority.

The dilemma, however, is that most cases of sexual harassment at the workplace are largely a microcosm of skewed power relations as opposed to agreed relations between two individuals.

There is no doubt that these situations are largely an indictment to the workplace supposedly to be harmonious and productive!

Despite the numerous complexities which surround sexual harassment, there are laws and systems to address this problem and part two will precisely look at this.

 The writer works in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. For feedback email [email protected].