As the
civilized society looked forward eagerly to know what kind of verdict will be
pronounced in the trial of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, on February 24,
the jury, after five days of deliberation, has found Weinstein guilty of a
criminal sexual act in the first degree and third-degree rape. He is, however,
acquitted of first-degree rape and two counts of predatory sexual assault
charges which would have resulted in life-time imprisonment.
Nevertheless,
the verdict is a victory for the Me Too Movement. For, it sends a powerful
warning to sexual harassers, workplace bullies and people in high-powered
positions that they are not beyond the reach of law. It also sends an
encouraging signal to the victims of sexual assault and harassment at the
workplaces, for the present verdict is largely based on victim’s testimony
without forensic or physical evidence.
Obviously,
the credit goes to those brave victims who have come forward to speak up about
their harrowing encounters with the accused in the face of ridicule and public
exposure and boldly stood up to the cross-examinations that witnessed the most
devastating confrontations—all in the interest of obtaining justice.
All
along it is believed that in sexual assault cases, the odds are stacked heavily
against accusers, for the defense commonly used by the accused, especially
those in the positions of power over the victims is that the relationship and
sex acts were consensual. Over it, the charges being framed based on events
occurred years ago, it becomes more difficult for the prosecution to prove. So,
quite often they depend on the credibility of the accuser. As a result, juries
and public are often found siding with the abuser. But with the current verdict
the scenario may change: victims are
likely to be encouraged to fight against sexual assaults at the workplaces.
Coupled with the current wave of Me Too Movement, it is hoped to bring in more
systemic change at workplaces.
There
is of course a downside to it: Many men are scary and feeling uncomfortable
fearing that they are vulnerable for false accusations. Secondly, enforcement
of rules alone cannot prevent sexual abuse. On the other hand, an atmosphere of
suspicion and fear at workplaces is more likely to hamper productivity. The
ultimate answer to the problem squarely rests on the leaders: they are not only
required to refrain themselves from bad behavior, but more importantly are
required to create a healthier culture in the organizations that they head so
that female employees get emboldened to speak up.
Here it
is necessary to take note of the findings of a recent survey carried out by the
Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI). The report states that “70% of
respondents who had approached an internal committee to report sexual
harassment at the workplace were not completely satisfied with the outcome.” It also revealed that 36% of respondents
reported having experienced sexual harassment at the workplaces. And the most
common kinds of harassments experienced are: sexiest comments, unwelcome sexual
jokes, embarrassing gestures or body language, attempts to establish unwanted
romantic and/or sexual relationships, and pestering for dates. All this
obviously calls for the leadership to initiate awareness programmes bring about
a change in culture of the organizations.
To
better appreciate this need and the urgency thereof, let us first examine why
sexual harassment persists at workplaces. Michael Kimmel, professor of
sociology and gender studies at Stony Brook University, cites three factors for
its persistence: one, the sense of entitlement that some men feel toward the
women they work with; two, that women won’t report it or fight back; and three,
the complicit assent. Here by complicit assent, we mean the tacit support extended
by the fellow male workers by simply remaining silent and not letting the
perpetrators of sexual abuse know that their behaviour is not acceptable.
Encouragingly,
women are now coming out and speaking loudly about the sexual harassment and
are even fighting against it. Now, it is time for the men to shun their silence
and come out calling a spade a spade. But then the fundamental question here
is: Why at all men remain silent over such bad behaviour? The sociologists
answer is: one, it is not uncommon for men to feel afraid of getting
marginalized— kicked out of the men’s club; and two, afraid of the costs of
doing right things at the workplace and hence they abandon their ethics and, in
the process, betray their women colleagues but of course, remain uncomfortable.
Now,
the question is how to come out of this shame called ‘silence’. One way is to
stir up sensibilities of the like-minded people in the organization and in
association with other colleagues raising voice against the misbehaviour of the
bullies—be they powerful or ordinary. This is sure to open space for others to
chip in and stop such bad behaviour in offices.
As more
and more women are joining workforce in Gig economy, men should become allies
of women in arresting indecent behaviour at workplaces. And in this context, it
is needless to stress the role of leaders in fostering a strong culture of
teamwork and camaraderie in organizations so that employees feel encouraged to
raise their voices against indecent behaviour in the offices. This in turn shall
not only ensure equality at workplaces but also productivity.
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