Can we stamp out sexual harassment for good?
After the scandals that rocked Hollywood and Westminster, Closer investigates and uncovers the shocking extent of abuse suffered by women in the workplace
Accusations A of sexual harassment against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, 65, shocked the world last month and prompted a wave of people to come forward to speak about their own traumas.
Within just a few days, social media exploded, with allegations being made under the hashtag “#metoo”. From catcalling to inappropriate touching, the scale of the problem was revealed when the hashtag was Tweeted more than 500,000 times in less than a week.
The campaign was started by actress Alyssa Milano, who encouraged women to raise awareness about sexual misconduct in the wake of the news about Weinstein. British actress Lysette Anthony, 54, reported Weinstein to the Metropolitan Police claiming he raped her during the 1980s in her own home. A spokesperson for Weinstein later said, “Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein.”
Since then, more high-profile allegations have been made in Hollywood – including against actor Kevin Spacey and Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick, who has denied claims he raped two women, he added of one accuser, “I do not know this woman. I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.”
And in the UK Parliament – where female staff even set up a Whatsapp group to warn each other of who to avoid – allegations were made against Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, which led to his resignation. Then, last week, politician Carl Sargeant – who was accused of “groping, unwanted attention and inappropriate touching” – killed himself, four days after being sacked as a Welsh Government minister and suspended by the Labour party.
Meanwhile, the shock extent of sexual harassment in the workplace is revealed by an exclusive Closer survey of 500 employed women, powered by mobile app Onepulse.
More than 40 per cent of women had experienced some form of sexual harassment at work and, of those, 70 per cent felt uncomfortable reporting the issue or had kept it a secret.
MORE THAN ‘BANTER’
This is backed up by research from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) and Trades Union Congress (TUC), which reveals that the number of sexual offences recorded by the police are at a record high, with one in eight women reporting physical intrusion such as forced attempts to kiss, or touching of the breasts, genitals or bottom.
Rachel Krys, the co-director of End Violence Against Women, says, “In the past few weeks there has been an explosion in the number of people reporting sexual harassment. It’s a good thing as it means the issue has come out of the shadows and perpetrators will realise they can’t get away with it.
“We can’t continue brushing off sexual harassment as ‘banter’ or flirtation. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, then it is harassment – and completely unacceptable.”
It’s something that Noeleen Mcaleenon, a charity support worker, knows all too well. In 2012, she suffered sexual harassment from a male co-worker while on night shifts. He slapped her bottom, asked about her sex life, commented on her appearance and told her that cooking was “women’s work.” He also hugged her and tickled her feet. She took her case against her employer, Autism Initiatives NI, to an industrial tribunal and won. She was awarded £12,293. Noeleen says, “I felt violated, degraded and very stressed. It was a horrible experience.”
MAKING A STAND
She quit her job as a result of the harassment, after she had lodged a complaint over her colleague’s behaviour. The charity interviewed the man, who admitted that he had touched Noeleen and made comments to her, but claimed it was “in fun” – though he accepted that some behaviour was inappropriate.
Noeleen says, “You have to make a stand because we don’t live in the dark ages. We are human beings and we deserve respect and dignity.”
But a lot of women don’t report harassment for fear of not being believed. Sarah*, 42, a recruitment manager, was sexually harassed in three different jobs, but didn’t report anything because she didn’t
❛I FELT VIOLATED AND DEGRADED – IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE❜
think anyone would believe her.
She says, “I was 16 when I was first harassed by a boss. I was working part-time in a shop and he was always trying to kiss me. I was really frightened so I left after two weeks. When I was 20, I got a job in recruitment. My boss would take me into meetings because he said I was “good to look at” and he’d always drop things on the floor and ask me to bend down to pick them up.
“When I was 40, in another job, my boss there would constantly proposition and touch me. I felt like I was 16 again, and was frightened about what he might do. After a few months, I resigned. I didn’t report him because I was scared I wouldn’t be believed – it was his word against mine.”
SPEAKING OUT
Jessica Thompson, solicitor and head of Stress At Work at Michael Lewin Solicitors, tells Closer, “I’ve seen a significant rise over the past few years in the numbers of enquiries we have had – indicating that these issues are happening more often or that people are more willing to speak out.
“It is sad to see that the news recently has been dominated by issues of sexual harassment, but the positive outcome is that these important issues are being acknowledged, debated and, hopefully, the legal rights of the individual will be more understood.”
Sarah says, “I’m so glad people are now speaking out. I wish I had been stronger. The workplace should be safe – no one should have to live in fear.” ● Onepulse surveyed 500 Closer readers in November 2017. Want your opinion to count? Download the Onepulse app and enter invite code CLOSER to join our panel.