Wales TUC launches action on sexual harassment in the workplace
• Over half of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace
Today (22 March) Wales TUC is launching a new toolkit on tackling sexual harassment in the workplace. The resource, co-authored by Welsh Women’s Aid, will give workers in Wales the information they need to tackle this problem in the workplace.
Sexual harassment is such a pervasive issue in workplaces that over one in two women in the UK have experienced it. This rises to nearly two in three women aged 18-24.
Launching the toolkit at the Pierhead building in Cardiff Bay, Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC General Secretary, said, “No one should go to work fearing they may be the victim of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is part of a wider, relentless culture of sexual violence and misogyny. It is not a low-level act that should be accepted as an inevitable part of everyday life.
“We want to create an environment that allows workers to come forward and seek support, and to be believed and helped when they need it.
“We all have a role to play in tackling sexual harassment and we cannot be bystanders when it takes place. It is essential for us all to question behaviours that make women feel less safe at home, at school, in public and at work.
“Wales TUC and our affiliated trade unions are leading the way in this work. Unions, our reps and members are key to holding employers to account and making sure that bosses are doing everything they can to prevent sexual harassment.”
The Wales TUC sexual harassment toolkit includes information and support to help workers:
➔ Identify workplace sexual harassment
➔ Hold employers to account to prevent sexual harassment from happening in workplaces
➔ Campaign for a zero-tolerance approach to workplace sexual harassment through various preventative measures
“At a time when there seems to be an epidemic of sexual harassment in all its forms, this toolkit will help union reps support those at the sharp end of this abuse and bring perpetrators to justice.
“It will help both employers and employees realise their obligations.
“Union reps are key to holding workplaces to account and making sure that bosses are doing everything they can to prevent sexual harassment.”
“Welsh Women’s Aid's 'No Grey Area' research found that four out of five women in Wales have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work. For the vast majority of these respondents, the harassment occurred on more than one occasion from more than one person.
“This signifies epidemic levels of misogyny and sexism being tolerated within workplaces. It is vital that we all commit to a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and that employers are equipped to provide trauma-informed, person-centred responses to those employees who disclose to them, alongside implementing robust mechanisms for accountability.”
Toolkit launch event
The toolkit will be launched in the Pierhead at 12pm on 22 March.
Speakers include Joyce Watson MS, Jane Hutt Minister for Social Justice, Rhianydd Williams Wales TUC, Brendan Kelly President of the Wales TUC, Sara Kirkpatrick Welsh Women’s Aid, Shavanah Taj, General Secretary Wales TUC.
Interviews can be arranged with speakers.
Sexual harassment in the workplace
According to a YouGov survey commissioned by the TUC and the Everyday Sexism Project in 2016, 52% of women say they have experienced sexual harassment at work. https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/nearly-two-three-young-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment-work-tuc-survey-reveals
About Wales TUC
Wales TUC is the voice of Wales at work. With 48 member unions, the Wales TUC represents around 400,000 workers. We campaign for a fair deal at work and for social justice at home and abroad.
Contact
Rhianydd Williams, Wales TUC Equality Policy Officer
029 2034 7010
