Putting a stop to sex harassment
Unmasking alleged abusers is a big step, but more to be done
Building a future without sexual harassment will require a fundamental shift in the ways we envision masculinity, power and exploitation, and the role of women in society.
Over the past six weeks, we’ve seen many high-profile figures confronted with consequences for their past actions — a big step forward in a society where powerful men who have perpetrated harassment and violence have too often gotten away with it, leaving those they abused to pick up the pieces.
This week, we’re seeing this debate play out on the covers of magazines and in the political arena, with U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., saying he will step down following accusations of sexual misconduct. But the lasting changes we need must take place in the quieter spaces of all of our lives, in the ways our culture shapes beliefs and behaviors.
Sexual harassment and violence have deep roots in our culture and norms. Norms influence our sense of what’s acceptable and not acceptable within a community or society at large. Part of what we’re seeing at this moment is a sea change in public understanding of sexual harassment as a pervasive social problem, rather than a private behavior that has largely been accepted, downplayed or ignored outright.
This moment challenges some of our society’s most deeply entrenched norms, such as the traditional association of masculinity with dominance, control, risk-taking and even aggression, and widespread acceptance that people in positions of authority will abuse their power over those of lower social and economic status.
Sexual harassment is too pervasive in our society to address the problem one person at a time, and those who face the highest burdens of harassment and violence often lack the status and connections to hold abusers accountable. That’s why we must think bigger, and focus on preventing these harms and traumas in the first place.
We need to move from inequalities of power to equity; from tolerance of abuse to accountability and justice; and from harmful models of masculinity and limited roles for women in society to more nuanced models for people of all genders and respect for each human being to live free from harassment and coercion.
Changes to the way we structure our workplaces, community spaces and pastimes can have big impacts on preventing harassment and violence. Among them: Eliminate tipping and ensure a living wage for all service workers.
In the restaurant industry, where extreme power differential exists and women, people of color, immigrants and people of low income are overrepresented, workers are organizing for fair and living wages.
Low wages and reliance on tips increases tipped workers’ exposure to exploitation, discrimination and sexual harassment.
California already has taken one significant step by abolishing the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers. Design public spaces to be safe and accessible to all users.
In Vienna, Austria, a public policy of “gender mainstreaming” recognizes the ways exposure to harassment and safety concerns (such as inadequate lighting and low-trafficked areas) affect the use of public facilities like parks and transit. Ensuring equal access to public facilities means taking the experiences and needs of all users into account, especially when such spaces were initially designed with ablebodied men in mind. Change sports culture. Contact sports often embody an ideal of aggressive masculinity that is associated with violence on and off the field. Changing the way we play and celebrate sports culture holds tremendous potential to create a safer game for players of all ages and ability levels, and foster healthier models of masculinity, from local coaches who promote respectful behavior through interactions with players to professional athletes who reinforce positive behaviors on the big screen.
Seismic shifts in our culture have happened before — just think of the shift in norms and attitudes toward smoking over the past 30 years — even in the arena of sexual harassment. Just this week, the voices that launched the #MeToo movement were named Time’s Person of the Year, showing how shifts in our culture are possible and what was acceptable a generation ago is not acceptable today.
When we challenge the unspoken rules that govern our behavior, attitudes and beliefs, and transform the places where people live, work, and play to support safety and equity, we move closer to a future free from sexual harassment.