THEin the factory as in the cinema, in companies as in private practices, in agriculture as in commerce and public administration, the victims of sexual harassment and blackmail are mainly women and the attackers are mainly men: this is a fact on which all studies agree. Even when it comes to harassment in the workplace.
The recent case of sexist chats which involved an advertising agency in Milan before the summer is just the latest example of a little-known phenomenon. Still, the numbers are impressive. According to ISTAT data from 2018 (there are no more updated ones) There are 1 million and 404 thousand women between 15 and 65 who have suffered physical harassment or sexual blackmail in the workplace by a colleague or superior. They represent almost nine percent of current or former female workers.
Harassment at work
7.5 percent of women have suffered sexual blackmail to get a job, to maintain it or to obtain progression in their career. As a consequence, one in three women has voluntarily changed jobs or given up their career. «There is no single definition of “harassment” at work» observes Marta Giaconi, labor law expert at the University of Milan Bicocca.
«The list could include the most serious cases of physical violence, groping, assaults, attempts to caress and kiss the woman against her will, but also verbal comments, obscene phone calls, humiliating phrases, sexual jokes and any behavior that undermines his dignity and transforms the workplace into an intimidating, hostile or degrading environment”.
There are still too few complaints from women who suffer abuse at work, but something is changing (Getty)
Few workers report
«Despite the breadth of the definition of harassment» continues Giaconi, «complaints are infrequent». According to Istat, the majority of victims of sexual blackmail in the workplace or study have remained silent and almost none have initiated legal proceedings (less than 1 percent). A brake on reporting or reporting it is often represented by the realistic fear of not being believed or of suffering retaliation, which may consist of being ridiculed or considered a pain in the ass, being marginalized from the group to the point of being bullied or mobbed by the harasser and his accomplices. «Victims may experience fears of various kinds, of retaliation, of dismissalsas well as a generic sense of guilt and shame” observes Ilaria Li Vigni, criminal lawyer and author of the book Women and the power to do (Franco Angeli). “Furthermore, very often, in the presence of cases of reporting, companies informally try to cover up what happened.”
Harassment at work to make it clear “who’s in charge”
«Often the primary purpose of harassment is not to obtain sexual satisfaction. Instead, it dominates desire to denigrate womento transform her into a sexual object by denying her the status of a worker” observes Patrizia Romito, professor of Social Psychology at the University of Trieste in the book written with Mariachiara Feresin Sexual harassment. Recognize them, fight them, prevent them (Carocci). Harassment thus serves to clarify who is in charge and who, under penalty of punishment, must remain in his place. «Typically, it is the most vulnerable women who suffer harassment: especially the immigrant workers in agriculture, as told in Stefania Prandi’s beautiful book, Red gold. Strawberries, tomatoes, harassment and exploitation in the Mediterranean (Seven-nine)».
Furthermore, the experiences of women who work in bars, restaurants and hotels are emblematic: colleagues, employers and customers address them with impunity with pornographic, humiliating and offensive language. In a patriarchal and misogynistic culture, allowing customers to harass waitresses is a “business strategy” for many managers. But no woman is immune to experiences of this type. «Managers who hold a position of importance and responsibility may suffer harassment from subordinates, who struggle to accept that authority comes from a person of the opposite sex. This is demonstrated by some female engineers who are repeatedly insulted or discredited by the male workers on the construction site.” Even drawing attention to a woman’s physical characteristics, for example by complimenting her, is a behavior that activates processes of objectification and dehumanization which result in the devaluation of her skills.
We need to help the younger ones
The harassment that occurs during internships or during school-work alternation experiences remains largely underestimated. «The dramatic case of a girl who was seduced and harassed by her company tutor without her being able to fully understand what was happening» observes Cristina Obber, journalist and trainer expert in gender violence. Raising awareness is precisely the goal of “Becoming”one of the projects that the expert brings to schools.
«Last year I met students from some professional training centers who were preparing to become cooks, beauticians and hairdressers. Girls who enter the world of work very young: having a clear understanding of what harassment means will help them to recognize it at an early stage and not suffer itto be aware of your rights. With male students it is important to help them understand that the gravity of words and actions is not measured on the basis of intentions but on the meaning they carry with them and their consequences. Stimulating a dialogue among young people on all forms of violence represents a concrete possibility to accelerate change.”
The company is mine and I do as I want
«Whoever harasses is very often an individual who has power and feels “safe” in his roles» explains Giovanna Castellini, psychologist director of the Work Stress and Maladjustment Center of the Milan Polyclinic. «He can be the same owner, especially in owner-operated/family-run businesses or in small businesses, such as professional studios for example. For some, having power means having the ability to engage in abusive conduct. One of the most recurring phrases is: “The company is mine and I do as I please. Take or leave””.
There is, however, no “safe” sector. «The women who come to us come from all fields of work, especially healthcare, large-scale retail trade, services and manufacturing, whose logic is more subtle and complex. In this case”, explains the psychologist, “the oppressive actions are expressed in omertous, silent, slow-drip conduct. Regardless of the profession one pursues, the fact of having suffered violence from another human being, especially in relationships of trust and in a chronic manner, has a strong traumatic potential, and when the situation becomes unbearable, the victims very often end up getting ill or leaving work.”
Defending yourself from harassment at work is not easy
«Defending oneself from harassment is neither easy nor obvious» highlights Giaconi. “On a legislative level, in fact, the delay in addressing these problems is now chronic.” An example above all: the bill on “Penal and procedural rules against sexual harassment”presented to Parliament in 1996, it is still a dead letter today. Some parliamentary groups, in the past legislature, proposed to introduce an “ad hoc” crime for harassmentbut without gathering the necessary consensus.
Although there are civil and labor protection instruments (art.2087, art.2043, art. 2049 as well as legislative decree 198/2006), which refer exclusively to the world of work, sexually harassing behavior does not constitute an independent criminal offence. The protection tools that could be used are those of the law on sexual violence, which however only captures some of the behaviors represented by harassment.
To overcome these regulatory “gaps” and implement the provisions of the Convention of the International Labor Organization (ILO), three bills are currently being examined by the Senate.
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