Prevention of gender-based violence and harassment at workplace in India

IF 0.8 Q4 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Pub Date : 2023-01-01 DOI:10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_234_23
NancyAngeline Gnanaselvam, Bobby Joseph
{"title":"Prevention of gender-based violence and harassment at workplace in India","authors":"NancyAngeline Gnanaselvam, Bobby Joseph","doi":"10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_234_23","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Targets 5.1 and 5.2 of goal 5 aim to end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere and eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. These spheres include the workplace as well.[1] All persons in India are equal before the law, and the state does not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds of sex and provides liberty for all as per Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the constitution of India.[2] It is important to understand that the state does not discriminate against individuals based on the social construct of gender or biological sex. India ratifies the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and adopts measures to achieve full equality between men and women.[3] Over recent years, many measures have been undertaken by different ministries and sectors to achieve gender equality. However, the country ranks 122 in the Global Gender Inequality Index and 135 in the Global Gender Gap Index.[4] Female empowerment and economic participation are crucial to achieve a better rank in these composite indices. The public health issue of gender-based violence (GBV) is deeply rooted in gender inequality. GBV can occur to any individual because of their gender. This includes women, men, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals. Women suffer disproportionately from the GBV. Violence against women is any act of violence based on gender that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women. These acts could include threats of acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty in public or private life.[5] Domestic violence occurring in families or between intimate partners can be physical, psychological, emotional, economic, or sexual. Sexual harassment is a type of violence against women under the sexual violence category. When it occurs at the workplace, it is called workplace sexual harassment (WSH). When it occurs in public places, it is called street harassment. As per the International Labour Organization, WSH contains the following important elements – Quid pro quo: Any physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature and other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women and men, which is unwelcome, unreasonable and offensive to the recipient, and a person’s rejection of, or submission to, such conduct is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for a decision which affects the person’s job and Hostile working environment: Conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment for the recipient.[6] Women’s labor participation is increasing at the cost of double the burden of paid work at the workplace and unpaid domestic chores and child-rearing responsibilities at home.[7] A working woman can be considered as empowered; however, due to the gendered division of labor, women face this double burden. Only around a third of women in the country participate in the labor force, and if this population, while at work, experiences WSH, it compromises the achievement of decent work which aims to achieve fair income, secure workplace, social protection, liberty for individuals to share their concerns and equal opportunity and treatment irrespective of gender.[8] Assessment of the prevalence of WSH is a challenge due to cultures of silence at the workplace due to gender dynamics at the workplace and the society at large. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of research or mixed methods can be conducted to assess the precise estimate of this problem at the workplace. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), across sectors, when WSH surveys are conducted in query method, the prevalence ranges from 0.6–26.1%. However, when behavioral acts such as sexually colored comments, inappropriate staring, unwelcome touch, and cat calls are included, the prevalence ranges from 14.5–98.8%. Victim-survivors of WSH usually neglect, resist, or tolerate the issue.[9] Due to the stigma around this issue, researchers should build trust with the workers and use participatory methods to assess the prevalence. In India, the prevalence of WSH is around 33–53%, and it is prevalent across all sectors and in all designations in women. Younger and migrant populations are more vulnerable.[10,11] In both these groups, there are challenges in collective bargaining, and among migrants, linguistic issues and lack of social protection in the state to which they have migrated can pose threats. A study done among retail shop women workers in Vellore City observed that 50% of them have experienced WSH in various forms. In this study, the common act of WSH experienced by women was of men calling them with words of endearment.[12] Currently, in the online or digital space, cyberbullying of women, nonconsensual sexting, and doxing, which involve the public release of private information, also occur. WSH, similar to any type of violence against women, has both physical, mental, and social well-being consequences. In extreme cases, rape and murder of workers also have been reported in the media. Reproductive health consequences such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections also can occur. The consequences of the mental and emotional well-being of a woman after WSH are long-term. Trauma and stress reactions, frustration, and passivity associated with WSH result in low self-esteem, leading to depression. WSH experiences can affect brain functions, affecting memory, concentration, and attention. Persons who experience WSH have higher levels of depression, and this has long-term effects on depressive symptoms in adulthood.[13] WSH is associated with increased odds of depression in a dose-response manner; more increase in reporting is associated with higher chances of depression.[14] Even in feminized occupations such as nursing, the prevalence of WSH can range up to 71%, and it is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress.[15] Feminized occupations such as the garment industry do not provide any protection from WSH because the power lies in the hands of men or women in superior positions who can harass the women. A cohort study done in Sweden has observed an association between WSH, illegitimate tasks (those tasks perceived as unnecessary due to violation of norms of what an employee is legitimately expected to perform) and burn out and depression.[16] A study done among humanitarian workers has observed that WSH increases depression and anxiety symptoms.[17] In the unorganized sector, sex workers are at high risk for violence. The current targeted interventions to prevent sexually transmitted infections among sex workers and decriminalization of the work under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act are not sufficient to address the violence they experience from their clients. As per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, an Internal Committee (IC) has to be constituted by every employer with a presiding officer who is a senior female employee, a minimum two employees from the workplace and one member from an external nongovernmental organization. For the benefit of the unorganized sector, every district has a Local Committee (LC), which is coordinated by the district head, usually a District Collector, with monitoring by the State Women Commission.[18] Any aggrieved woman can make in writing her complaint within 3 months of the date of the incident. After an inquiry into the complaint, the employer shall act upon the recommendations of the committee, and the act of sexual harassment must be considered as misconduct under the service rules. However, most women do not report WSH due to a lack of trust in the organization, its redressal mechanism, lack of legal awareness, professional victimization, retaliation, and stigma. Also, there is fear of loss of employment as well.[19] Workplaces are complex environments, and it is important to find, prevent, and mitigate the adverse human rights impacts. This can be achieved through human rights due diligence. One important aspect of this is the action after finding a risk at the workplace, leveraging the responsibility and actions, mitigating the risks, and remediation for the workers.[20] These intricacies in providing remediation for the problem of WSH cannot be addressed in the current framework. Women undergoing harassment require essential services, which include health care and justice. While the IC at the workplace, if functioning effectively, can address the justice, safety, and protection of women, revictimization should be avoided by survivor-centered services to break recurring cycles of violence.[21] Women undergoing harassment have complex and diverse needs, and the structural inequalities that underpin violence can compound the vulnerabilities. This can be better understood by using an intersectional lens to understand how various oppressions and experiences of discrimination can act together to worsen the consequences and occurrences of WSH in a vulnerable woman. Gender equality and social justice approaches at the workplace have transformative potential to improve the health of women holistically.[22] The first line of support a health care worker at the workplace can provide for a woman undergoing violence is LIVES, which is Listening with empathy and no judgment, Inquiring about needs and concerns, Validating the experience of violence, Enhancing safety and Support to connect with services.[23] This should follow an intersectional approach to ensure there is an understanding that other inequalities due to gender, caste, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, disability, class, and other forms of discrimination can intersect to create distinct vulnerabilities and effects.[24] LIVES provision can be performed by a nurse, doctor, welfare officer, HR professional, or a trained layperson. This will provide psychological support for the women. Problem Management Plus, a scalable psychological intervention, which is a feasible version of cognitive behavioral therapy, can be delivered to promote mental health and psychological well-being and alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.[25] This training can be offered by mental health professionals to key employees at the workplace, and WSH, apart from most mental health issues, can be addressed at the primary prevention level at the workplace through this intervention. This can also establish referral networks to ensure women receive appropriate specialist mental health care. Healthy Activity Program, a 6–8 session behavioral activation with problem-solving aspects and activation of social support, can also be provided by lay counselors for cases of depression.[26,27] These types of programs can be planned by medical officers and employers with expert mental health professional guidance to promote the mental health of workers. Lay counselors or barefoot counselors generation at the workplace can also address common mental health issues at the workplace. To establish a violence-free workplace, freedom of association, regular trainings on WSH, anti-retaliation protections, and transparency in business should be ensured by employers.[28] Prevailing cultural norms encourage a culture of impunity around GBV, and this should be dismantled. Employers should build a work culture based on mutual respect and dignity, taking into account the patriarchal society, gender stereotypes, gender norms, rape culture, honor-shame culture, and everyday sexism.[29] A proactive effort should be undertaken by employers and key staff to unlearn unconscious biases in the field of gender. There should be no tolerance towards the objectification of women and unfair treatment of LGBTQI+ individuals at the workplace. Workplaces should have a code of conduct prohibiting sexual harassment and clearly display and convey the consequences to workers. Those workers reporting sexual harassment should be protected, and confidentiality should be ensured. More than 90% of the labor workforce in our country is involved in the informal economy engaged by socially, economically, and underprivileged communities. This economy is characterized by a lack of legal protection and social security benefits, and in many sectors like agriculture, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist), Anganwadi workers under the health system, sex workers, domestic workers, waste handlers, construction workers under the informal economy, women are more involved. The formation of IC and the functioning of LC in the informal sector is a challenge. LCs receive complaints from the informal sector very rarely or never.[30] Dialogue with specific workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, and self-help groups in ensuring effective implementation of the law and awareness campaigns should be conducted to ensure the protection of workers in the informal sector. The current strategy of the Sexual Harassment electronic Box (SHe-Box) provides single window access to all women irrespective of sector of work; however, the awareness regarding the same, increasing ways to access the same through more stakeholder engagement and community participation, should be promoted.[31] Popular and social media initiatives to gain momentum on sexual harassment, such as the #MeToo movement, are not accessible for women in the informal sector who are not empowered to break the silence.[32] In conclusion, women and LGBTQI+ individuals at the workplace should be protected from sexual harassment through legal measures, awareness generation through employers, and care and support, which can be provided by health care workers as well as by lay personnel. Regular audits and monitoring of cases of sexual harassment and the functioning of ICs, as well as LCs, should be conducted. Positive change in the work environment should be established through regular training and awareness sessions, clear remedial measures, and ensuring freedom of association.","PeriodicalId":43585,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_234_23","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract

Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Targets 5.1 and 5.2 of goal 5 aim to end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere and eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. These spheres include the workplace as well.[1] All persons in India are equal before the law, and the state does not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds of sex and provides liberty for all as per Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the constitution of India.[2] It is important to understand that the state does not discriminate against individuals based on the social construct of gender or biological sex. India ratifies the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and adopts measures to achieve full equality between men and women.[3] Over recent years, many measures have been undertaken by different ministries and sectors to achieve gender equality. However, the country ranks 122 in the Global Gender Inequality Index and 135 in the Global Gender Gap Index.[4] Female empowerment and economic participation are crucial to achieve a better rank in these composite indices. The public health issue of gender-based violence (GBV) is deeply rooted in gender inequality. GBV can occur to any individual because of their gender. This includes women, men, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals. Women suffer disproportionately from the GBV. Violence against women is any act of violence based on gender that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women. These acts could include threats of acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty in public or private life.[5] Domestic violence occurring in families or between intimate partners can be physical, psychological, emotional, economic, or sexual. Sexual harassment is a type of violence against women under the sexual violence category. When it occurs at the workplace, it is called workplace sexual harassment (WSH). When it occurs in public places, it is called street harassment. As per the International Labour Organization, WSH contains the following important elements – Quid pro quo: Any physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature and other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women and men, which is unwelcome, unreasonable and offensive to the recipient, and a person’s rejection of, or submission to, such conduct is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for a decision which affects the person’s job and Hostile working environment: Conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment for the recipient.[6] Women’s labor participation is increasing at the cost of double the burden of paid work at the workplace and unpaid domestic chores and child-rearing responsibilities at home.[7] A working woman can be considered as empowered; however, due to the gendered division of labor, women face this double burden. Only around a third of women in the country participate in the labor force, and if this population, while at work, experiences WSH, it compromises the achievement of decent work which aims to achieve fair income, secure workplace, social protection, liberty for individuals to share their concerns and equal opportunity and treatment irrespective of gender.[8] Assessment of the prevalence of WSH is a challenge due to cultures of silence at the workplace due to gender dynamics at the workplace and the society at large. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of research or mixed methods can be conducted to assess the precise estimate of this problem at the workplace. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), across sectors, when WSH surveys are conducted in query method, the prevalence ranges from 0.6–26.1%. However, when behavioral acts such as sexually colored comments, inappropriate staring, unwelcome touch, and cat calls are included, the prevalence ranges from 14.5–98.8%. Victim-survivors of WSH usually neglect, resist, or tolerate the issue.[9] Due to the stigma around this issue, researchers should build trust with the workers and use participatory methods to assess the prevalence. In India, the prevalence of WSH is around 33–53%, and it is prevalent across all sectors and in all designations in women. Younger and migrant populations are more vulnerable.[10,11] In both these groups, there are challenges in collective bargaining, and among migrants, linguistic issues and lack of social protection in the state to which they have migrated can pose threats. A study done among retail shop women workers in Vellore City observed that 50% of them have experienced WSH in various forms. In this study, the common act of WSH experienced by women was of men calling them with words of endearment.[12] Currently, in the online or digital space, cyberbullying of women, nonconsensual sexting, and doxing, which involve the public release of private information, also occur. WSH, similar to any type of violence against women, has both physical, mental, and social well-being consequences. In extreme cases, rape and murder of workers also have been reported in the media. Reproductive health consequences such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections also can occur. The consequences of the mental and emotional well-being of a woman after WSH are long-term. Trauma and stress reactions, frustration, and passivity associated with WSH result in low self-esteem, leading to depression. WSH experiences can affect brain functions, affecting memory, concentration, and attention. Persons who experience WSH have higher levels of depression, and this has long-term effects on depressive symptoms in adulthood.[13] WSH is associated with increased odds of depression in a dose-response manner; more increase in reporting is associated with higher chances of depression.[14] Even in feminized occupations such as nursing, the prevalence of WSH can range up to 71%, and it is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress.[15] Feminized occupations such as the garment industry do not provide any protection from WSH because the power lies in the hands of men or women in superior positions who can harass the women. A cohort study done in Sweden has observed an association between WSH, illegitimate tasks (those tasks perceived as unnecessary due to violation of norms of what an employee is legitimately expected to perform) and burn out and depression.[16] A study done among humanitarian workers has observed that WSH increases depression and anxiety symptoms.[17] In the unorganized sector, sex workers are at high risk for violence. The current targeted interventions to prevent sexually transmitted infections among sex workers and decriminalization of the work under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act are not sufficient to address the violence they experience from their clients. As per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, an Internal Committee (IC) has to be constituted by every employer with a presiding officer who is a senior female employee, a minimum two employees from the workplace and one member from an external nongovernmental organization. For the benefit of the unorganized sector, every district has a Local Committee (LC), which is coordinated by the district head, usually a District Collector, with monitoring by the State Women Commission.[18] Any aggrieved woman can make in writing her complaint within 3 months of the date of the incident. After an inquiry into the complaint, the employer shall act upon the recommendations of the committee, and the act of sexual harassment must be considered as misconduct under the service rules. However, most women do not report WSH due to a lack of trust in the organization, its redressal mechanism, lack of legal awareness, professional victimization, retaliation, and stigma. Also, there is fear of loss of employment as well.[19] Workplaces are complex environments, and it is important to find, prevent, and mitigate the adverse human rights impacts. This can be achieved through human rights due diligence. One important aspect of this is the action after finding a risk at the workplace, leveraging the responsibility and actions, mitigating the risks, and remediation for the workers.[20] These intricacies in providing remediation for the problem of WSH cannot be addressed in the current framework. Women undergoing harassment require essential services, which include health care and justice. While the IC at the workplace, if functioning effectively, can address the justice, safety, and protection of women, revictimization should be avoided by survivor-centered services to break recurring cycles of violence.[21] Women undergoing harassment have complex and diverse needs, and the structural inequalities that underpin violence can compound the vulnerabilities. This can be better understood by using an intersectional lens to understand how various oppressions and experiences of discrimination can act together to worsen the consequences and occurrences of WSH in a vulnerable woman. Gender equality and social justice approaches at the workplace have transformative potential to improve the health of women holistically.[22] The first line of support a health care worker at the workplace can provide for a woman undergoing violence is LIVES, which is Listening with empathy and no judgment, Inquiring about needs and concerns, Validating the experience of violence, Enhancing safety and Support to connect with services.[23] This should follow an intersectional approach to ensure there is an understanding that other inequalities due to gender, caste, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, disability, class, and other forms of discrimination can intersect to create distinct vulnerabilities and effects.[24] LIVES provision can be performed by a nurse, doctor, welfare officer, HR professional, or a trained layperson. This will provide psychological support for the women. Problem Management Plus, a scalable psychological intervention, which is a feasible version of cognitive behavioral therapy, can be delivered to promote mental health and psychological well-being and alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.[25] This training can be offered by mental health professionals to key employees at the workplace, and WSH, apart from most mental health issues, can be addressed at the primary prevention level at the workplace through this intervention. This can also establish referral networks to ensure women receive appropriate specialist mental health care. Healthy Activity Program, a 6–8 session behavioral activation with problem-solving aspects and activation of social support, can also be provided by lay counselors for cases of depression.[26,27] These types of programs can be planned by medical officers and employers with expert mental health professional guidance to promote the mental health of workers. Lay counselors or barefoot counselors generation at the workplace can also address common mental health issues at the workplace. To establish a violence-free workplace, freedom of association, regular trainings on WSH, anti-retaliation protections, and transparency in business should be ensured by employers.[28] Prevailing cultural norms encourage a culture of impunity around GBV, and this should be dismantled. Employers should build a work culture based on mutual respect and dignity, taking into account the patriarchal society, gender stereotypes, gender norms, rape culture, honor-shame culture, and everyday sexism.[29] A proactive effort should be undertaken by employers and key staff to unlearn unconscious biases in the field of gender. There should be no tolerance towards the objectification of women and unfair treatment of LGBTQI+ individuals at the workplace. Workplaces should have a code of conduct prohibiting sexual harassment and clearly display and convey the consequences to workers. Those workers reporting sexual harassment should be protected, and confidentiality should be ensured. More than 90% of the labor workforce in our country is involved in the informal economy engaged by socially, economically, and underprivileged communities. This economy is characterized by a lack of legal protection and social security benefits, and in many sectors like agriculture, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist), Anganwadi workers under the health system, sex workers, domestic workers, waste handlers, construction workers under the informal economy, women are more involved. The formation of IC and the functioning of LC in the informal sector is a challenge. LCs receive complaints from the informal sector very rarely or never.[30] Dialogue with specific workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, and self-help groups in ensuring effective implementation of the law and awareness campaigns should be conducted to ensure the protection of workers in the informal sector. The current strategy of the Sexual Harassment electronic Box (SHe-Box) provides single window access to all women irrespective of sector of work; however, the awareness regarding the same, increasing ways to access the same through more stakeholder engagement and community participation, should be promoted.[31] Popular and social media initiatives to gain momentum on sexual harassment, such as the #MeToo movement, are not accessible for women in the informal sector who are not empowered to break the silence.[32] In conclusion, women and LGBTQI+ individuals at the workplace should be protected from sexual harassment through legal measures, awareness generation through employers, and care and support, which can be provided by health care workers as well as by lay personnel. Regular audits and monitoring of cases of sexual harassment and the functioning of ICs, as well as LCs, should be conducted. Positive change in the work environment should be established through regular training and awareness sessions, clear remedial measures, and ensuring freedom of association.
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印度在工作场所预防基于性别的暴力和骚扰
可持续发展目标的目标5旨在实现性别平等,增强所有妇女和女童的权能。目标5的具体目标5.1和5.2旨在消除世界各地对所有妇女和女童的一切形式歧视,消除公共和私人领域对所有妇女和女童的一切形式暴力,包括贩运、性剥削和其他形式的剥削。这些领域也包括工作场所印度所有人在法律面前一律平等,国家不以性别为由歧视任何公民,并根据印度宪法第14、15和21条为所有人提供自由重要的是要明白,国家不会基于社会性别或生理性别来歧视个人。印度批准了《联合国消除对妇女一切形式歧视公约》(CEDAW),并采取措施实现男女完全平等近年来,各部委和部门为实现性别平等采取了许多措施。然而,该国在全球性别不平等指数中排名122,在全球性别差距指数中排名135女性赋权和经济参与对于提高在这些综合指数中的排名至关重要。基于性别的暴力的公共卫生问题深深植根于性别不平等。性别暴力可能发生在任何一个人身上,因为他们的性别。这包括女性、男性、女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、变性人、酷儿和双性人(LGBTQI+)。妇女遭受的性别暴力不成比例。对妇女的暴力行为是指对妇女造成或可能造成身体、性或精神伤害或痛苦的任何基于性别的暴力行为。这些行为可包括威胁行为、胁迫或任意剥夺公共或私人生活中的自由发生在家庭或亲密伴侣之间的家庭暴力可以是身体、心理、情感、经济或性暴力。性骚扰是性暴力范畴下针对妇女的一种暴力。当它发生在工作场所,它被称为工作场所性骚扰(WSH)。当它发生在公共场所时,它被称为街头骚扰。根据国际劳工组织的规定,WSH包含以下重要要素-交换条件:任何身体、语言或非语言的性行为和其他基于性的影响男女尊严的行为,这些行为对接受者来说是不受欢迎的、不合理的和冒犯的,一个人拒绝或服从这种行为被明确或暗示地用作影响其工作和敌对工作环境的决定的依据;给收件人制造恐吓、敌意或侮辱性工作环境的行为妇女的劳动参与率正在提高,但代价是工作场所的有偿工作负担和家庭中无报酬的家务和抚养子女的责任增加了一倍职业妇女可以被认为是被赋予权力的;然而,由于性别分工,女性面临着这种双重负担。该国只有大约三分之一的妇女参加劳动力,如果这些人口在工作中经历了妇女暴力,就会损害体面工作的实现,而体面工作的目标是实现公平收入、安全的工作场所、社会保护、个人分享其关切的自由以及不分性别的平等机会和待遇由于工作场所和整个社会的性别动态导致了工作场所的沉默文化,因此对WSH流行程度的评估是一项挑战。定性和定量的研究方法或混合方法都可以在工作场所进行评估,以准确估计这个问题。在低收入和中等收入国家(LMICs)的各个部门,当以询问方法进行卫生健康调查时,患病率为0.6-26.1%。然而,如果把带有色情色彩的评论、不恰当的凝视、不受欢迎的触摸和猫叫等行为包括在内,患病率在14.5-98.8%之间。WSH的受害者-幸存者通常忽视、抵制或容忍这一问题由于这个问题的耻辱,研究人员应该与工人建立信任,并使用参与性方法来评估患病率。在印度,WSH患病率约为33-53%,在所有部门和所有指定的妇女中普遍存在。年轻人和流动人口更容易受到伤害。[10,11]在这两个群体中,集体谈判都面临挑战,而在移民中,语言问题和移民所在国缺乏社会保护可能构成威胁。一项针对维洛尔市零售商店女工的研究发现,其中50%的人经历过各种形式的WSH。在这项研究中,女性经历的WSH的常见行为是男性用亲昵的话语称呼她们。 [12]目前,在网络或数字空间中,也发生了对妇女的网络欺凌、未经同意的性短信和涉及公开发布私人信息的色情行为。与针对妇女的任何形式的暴力行为类似,妇女暴力对身体、精神和社会福祉都有影响。在极端情况下,媒体还报道了对工人的强奸和谋杀。生殖健康后果,如意外怀孕和性传播感染也可能发生。女性清洁后精神和情感健康的影响是长期的。创伤和压力反应、挫折以及与WSH相关的被动会导致低自尊,从而导致抑郁。WSH经历会影响大脑功能,影响记忆、注意力和集中力。经历过WSH的人抑郁程度更高,这对成年后的抑郁症状有长期影响WSH与抑郁症发生率增加呈剂量反应关系;报告次数越多,患抑郁症的几率越高即使在女性化的职业,如护士,WSH的患病率也可高达71%,并与抑郁、焦虑和压力有关女性化的职业,如服装行业,并没有提供任何保护,因为权力掌握在可以骚扰女性的高级职位的男性或女性手中。在瑞典进行的一项队列研究已经观察到WSH、非法任务(那些被认为是不必要的任务,因为违反了员工被合理期望执行的规范)和倦怠和抑郁之间的联系在人道主义工作者中进行的一项研究发现,WSH会增加抑郁和焦虑症状在无组织的部门,性工作者遭受暴力的风险很高。目前在性工作者中预防性传播感染的有针对性的干预措施,以及根据《不道德交通预防法》将该工作非刑事化,不足以解决她们从客户那里遭受的暴力。根据《2013年工作场所对妇女的性骚扰(预防、禁止和补救)法》,必须由每个雇主组成一个内部委员会,由一名高级女雇员担任主席,至少有两名工作场所雇员和一名外部非政府组织成员。为了无组织部门的利益,每个地区都有一个地方委员会(LC),由地区负责人(通常是一名地区收集器)协调,并由国家妇女委员会监督任何受害妇女均可在事件发生后三个月内以书面形式提出投诉。在对投诉进行调查后,雇主应根据委员会的建议采取行动,根据服务规则,性骚扰行为必须被视为不当行为。然而,由于对组织缺乏信任、其补救机制、缺乏法律意识、职业受害、报复和污名化,大多数妇女没有报告WSH。此外,人们还担心失业工作场所是复杂的环境,发现、预防和减轻不利的人权影响非常重要。这可以通过对人权的尽职调查来实现。其中一个重要的方面是在发现工作场所的风险后采取行动,利用责任和行动,减轻风险,并为工人进行补救在目前的框架中,无法解决为水卫生问题提供补救措施的这些复杂问题。遭受骚扰的妇女需要基本服务,包括保健和司法。虽然工作场所的国际社会如果有效运作,可以解决正义、安全和保护妇女的问题,但应通过以幸存者为中心的服务来避免再次受害,以打破反复出现的暴力循环遭受骚扰的妇女有着复杂多样的需求,而作为暴力基础的结构性不平等可能加剧脆弱性。通过使用交叉镜头来理解各种压迫和歧视经历如何共同作用,使弱势妇女的WSH后果和发生恶化,可以更好地理解这一点。工作场所的性别平等和社会正义方针具有变革性潜力,可全面改善妇女的健康工作场所的卫生保健工作者可以为遭受暴力的妇女提供的第一道支持线是“生命”,即带着同情而不加评判地倾听、询问需求和关切、确认暴力经历、加强安全和支持以与服务联系。 这应该遵循一种交叉的方法,以确保人们理解,由于性别、种姓、民族、种族、性取向、残疾、阶级和其他形式的歧视而产生的其他不平等可以交叉,从而产生不同的脆弱性和影响生命提供可以由护士、医生、福利官员、人力资源专业人员或受过训练的外行执行。这将为妇女提供心理支持。问题管理Plus是一种可扩展的心理干预,是认知行为疗法的一种可行版本,可以促进心理健康和心理健康,减轻抑郁、焦虑和压力的症状这种培训可由精神卫生专业人员向工作场所的主要雇员提供,除了大多数精神卫生问题外,卫生与健康问题可通过这种干预措施在工作场所的初级预防一级得到解决。这也可以建立转诊网络,以确保妇女得到适当的专业精神保健。健康活动计划,一个6-8次的行为激活与问题解决方面和社会支持的激活,也可以由非专业咨询师为抑郁症病例提供。[26,27]这些类型的项目可以由医务人员和雇主在心理健康专家的专业指导下策划,以促进工人的心理健康。工作场所的非专业咨询师或赤脚咨询师也可以解决工作场所常见的心理健康问题。为了建立一个无暴力的工作场所,雇主应该确保结社自由、定期的卫生培训、反报复保护和商业透明度主流文化规范鼓励对性别暴力不受惩罚的文化,这应该被消除。雇主应该建立一种基于相互尊重和尊严的工作文化,考虑到男权社会、性别刻板印象、性别规范、强奸文化、荣辱文化和日常的性别歧视雇主和主要工作人员应作出积极努力,消除性别领域的无意识偏见。在工作场所,不应该容忍对女性的物化和对LGBTQI+个体的不公平对待。工作场所应制定禁止性骚扰的行为准则,并清楚地向员工展示和传达性骚扰的后果。那些报告性骚扰的工人应该受到保护,并确保保密。我国90%以上的劳动力参与了由社会、经济和贫困社区参与的非正规经济。这种经济的特点是缺乏法律保护和社会保障福利,在许多部门,如农业、ASHA(认可的社会卫生活动家)、卫生系统下的Anganwadi工人、性工作者、家庭工人、废物处理员、非正规经济下的建筑工人,妇女更多地参与其中。国际合作组织的形成和国际合作组织在非正规部门的运作是一个挑战。LCs很少或从未收到来自非正式部门的投诉应与具体工人组织、民间社会组织和自助团体进行对话,以确保有效执行法律,并开展提高认识运动,以确保保护非正规部门的工人。目前的性骚扰电子箱(SHe-Box)战略为所有妇女提供了单一窗口,不论其从事何种工作;然而,应该促进对相同的认识,并通过更多的利益相关者参与和社区参与来增加获得相同的途径#MeToo(我也是)运动等在大众和社交媒体上发起的反性骚扰运动,对那些没有能力打破沉默的非正式部门的女性来说是无法接触到的总之,工作场所的妇女和LGBTQI+个人应该通过法律措施、雇主提高认识以及卫生保健工作者和非专业人员提供的护理和支持来保护她们免受性骚扰。应定期审计和监测性骚扰案件以及综合行政中心和综合行政中心的运作情况。应通过定期培训和提高认识会议、明确的补救措施和确保结社自由,使工作环境发生积极变化。
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来源期刊
Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-
CiteScore
1.60
自引率
0.00%
发文量
25
期刊介绍: The website of Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine aims to make the printed version of the journal available to the scientific community on the web. The site is purely for educational purpose of the medical community. The site does not cater to the needs of individual patients and is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.
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