8/4/2022
From the communication desk:
How to use communication to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace By Sheila Murithi It was not long ago that we watched in utter fear and disbelief what happened to the young lady on Forest Road in broad daylight as she lived through her worst nightmare. Being sexually assaulted by a gang of boda boda riders was the last thing, wait, the thought did not even cross her mind earlier that day but sadly it is the harsh reality that most women and men live in; that sexual harassment is widely rampant today. In this day and era, the world is indeed a dangerous place to live in. According to Section 23 (1), Sexual Offences Act (Act No. 3 of 2006) an employee is sexually harassed at the workplace if an employer, his representative or a co-worker makes unwelcome sexual advances or requests. Furthermore, an employee is sexually harassed if the employer, their representative or co-worker shows physical behavior of a sexual nature that directly or indirectly subjects the employee to behavior that is unwelcome or offensive to that employee. Globally, an article published on 26 Shocking Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Statistics [2021 Update] demonstrates the severity of the matter as illustrated below: • 44% of women in the restaurant industry have experienced sexual harassment from someone in a management or ownership role. • Only 17% of sexually harassed male nurses report it to their employer. • Roughly 58% of women harassed at work don’t file a complaint. • Only 1% of sexually harassed victims confront their perpetrators. • 7 out of 10 disabled women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. • 140 countries have laws on sexual harassment in the workplace. • $22,500 per person is the
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ISSUE 7 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
average cost of lost productivity. • 31% of all victims feel depressed and anxious upon experiencing sexual harassment or assault. (Source:https://whattobecome. com/blog/sexual-harassment-inthe-workplace-statistics/) Workplace sexual harassment is prevalent in Kenya. This is evidenced, in part, by the results of a study conducted on 356 participants in the Medical College of Nairobi that revealed that 43 percent of the students and 27 percent of the staff had experienced various forms of sexual harassment. (Source: Koi V, Auka J and Kilaha S, ‘Perceived magnitude of sexual harassment in learning institutions: A case study of Kenya medical training college, Nairobi’ 2(1) International Academic Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 2018, 70-71.) All institutions must create and maintain a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. The communication strategies below can be instrumental in getting this vital information out to staff:
1. Demonstrating that sexual harassment prevention is the Hospital’s priority Growing the awareness of the need to be even more proactive in taking steps to educate and inform staff about the types of behaviors that will not be tolerated in the workplace. The harassment policies should not only be communicated during on-boarding and training cycles but in staff meetings and internal communications. But not all communications are created equal. To help prevent sexual harassment at work, research shows that communications should not be lukewarm in tone, rather, they should include strong, undisputable statements that preventing harassment is a high priority for the institution. It is critical that these communications come from leaders throughout the institution, preferably top executives, and not just Human Resources. If the leadership regularly and authentically communicates that sexual harassment prevention training is a high priority then it will be taken seriously, managers and employees will follow suit.
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