Directing Change

 For years, women have been gaining the media’s attention by coming forward publicly about issues in their work environment. Since 1992, there has been an increase in the number of sexual harassment cases against women in the workplace.

 Do you think that bringing these issues to the surface has caused this issue to worsen? Many people believe that the issue hasn’t gotten worse and that the rising number of sexual harassment cases has only included because more women are coming forward than they were years ago.

 In a private survey, 46% of women say that they have experienced some sort of harassment in the workplace. Only 17% of those women have reported their sexual harassment experiences. Another 14% refused to answer the survey completely.

 If women continue to come forward, do you think these numbers will decrease in the next 15 years? With the evolution of technology and the increase in security monitoring being placed in the workplace, you would think these numbers would decrease. Some people believe that women are too sensitive and can’t take a joke. Those same people believe that some women are exaggerating and they are not to be believed entirely.

 If these people are sounding too convincing to others, there may be an issue for women in the future who come forward. Many of these cases are not proven because women don’t report it right away. Do you think that people would believe women more often if the women reported sexual harassment immediately? Do you think that these reports would direct change for women’s rights in the workplace?

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

 In the year 2019, women throughout America agreed on the top 15 issues they are forced to deal within the workplace. The number 1 issue that women face in the workplace is "sexual harassment." For years, women have been mistreated by their male coworkers. Sadly, some women have even been sexually assaulted by their bosses and coworkers. If sexual harassment is a crime, then why does it still exist? Are women afraid to come forward to address this behavior because they fear they could lose their job? This is an ever-lasting issue and I think more women should come forward if this is something they have/are dealing with.

 Sexual harassment is not just flashing someone their goods, it comes in many forms. Sexual harassment can be comments that someone makes about parts of your body. Coworkers may write a dirty note and leave it on your desk in hopes of you falling for their tricks. Some women think that a guy making sexual advances at them, is just a guy flirting but it's not. These are just some of the most common forms of sexual harassment in the workplace.

 This abominable behavior is disturbingly too common. A study released by EEOC claims that “anywhere from 25% to 85% of women report having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.” This reveals that approximately one in four people have experienced some form of sexual harassment while working. Their total number of complaints included 44% alleged harassment based on sex. These are alarming numbers and data that show just how prevalent this issue is in society.

 A National Study on Sexual Harassment by SSH, also reported that about 81% of women had been affected by this widespread problem. When researching where it occurs, they discovered that “38% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment in their workplace.” The location of the first experience of sexual assault in the workplace reported by women was 8% and “respondent’s workplace was the third most frequent lifetime location (13% women)” of suffering sexual harassment. Lamentably, public spaces are not entirely safe for women being that they are often violated in their very own work environment.

 Worse still, a Cosmopolitan survey showed that 71% of women do not report sexual harassment. They most likely remain silent in fear of retaliation. To no surprise, an EEOC report found that “75% of employees who spoke out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation." It is evident that many women have yet to come forward out of fear and the number of sexual harassment cases is possibly higher than perceived.

 There are laws and ethic codes put into place to protect women and men from sexual harassment. It is against the law and the punishment balances with the severity of the crime. Some people get fired, some go to court and pay a fine, and some are sentenced to jail, probation, and even prison in some cases. Not to mention the expensive lawsuits that the victims may file against the company. To avoid a tarnished reputation and costs of legal action, companies should continue to stand by their ethic codes and enforce consequences to protect the victims.

 We must continue to talk about sexual harassment to shed more light on the issue. People who are educated about sexual harassment should not be afraid to talk about the issue. People need to speak up when they are being mistreated. It is also good to talk to your coworkers to see how they feel about the issue. You never know when someone is ready to get something off their back. Maybe they have been scared for a long time and now they are ready to talk.

 My advice to anyone reading this post is, to not be ashamed to come forward when someone is mistreating you. You have the right to remain anonymous, no one will mention your name if you don’t want them to. That is your privacy right and your employer must abide by that. You will also be helping your company and protecting yourself from further abuse.

 Not everyone reports their sexual harassment story. Luckily, some brave people are willing to tell their stories. I am going to include some stories below from Huffpost.com of women that have experienced sexual harassment at their jobs:

 “This happened when I was about 23 and working in a popular retail store that sells tea and tea accessories. I was alone in the store for a moment and a man comes in. He starts talking to me and I go into my usual sales pitch. Then he randomly gets really close to me and tells me that: “my t**s are really great.” He had gotten so close, almost touching me. After he left I was still shocked and shaking. I still remember that as one of the most humiliating things that has ever happened to me, and it makes me cringe every time I think about it.” — Yvonne, 27

“I’ve had to deal with male customers who stop and comment on the fact that I rest on my knees while stocking our warehouse. My favorite is, “ you need to get up off those knees, girl.” All while they stand and leer while licking their lips. I’m at work. I don’t want to flirt with you. I want to do my job and go home. Unmolested and unbothered. I recently had a male coworker slap my behind with a flyswatter. One guy I work with offered to hold my hand because “I was blushing and clearly like getting my butt spanked.” I wasn’t blushing. My ears and cheeks were red because I was mortified and angry.” — K, 24 

“I was used to how the guys acted… but being cornered in the small produce color by a rather large coworker, was not something I was looking forward to. [He] would not let me pass and believe me there was no way around him, he began putting his hands on me and pulling me towards him as if to kiss, then he showed me his p***s. I had to show him I was carrying a pocket knife so that he would leave me be…” —SJ, 49 

 From these stories we can see that it does not matter in what industry you work in, there is still a chance of being subjected to sexual harassment. These women are all different ages, so it does not matter if you are young or not. Women all over have to realize the severity of this issue and report the sexual harassment they experience at work.

When I was 18, I experienced a moment where I was at work and a male coworker slapped my butt and ran off. I stood there shocked. I didn’t know what to do. I felt violated, but I did not report it because I did not want to start any drama at work. I do not know why he thought that was okay, or maybe he just did not care. It is clear we need to educate both men and women on how to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, or anywhere for that matter.

If you feel comfortable sharing an experience at work, leave a comment explaining what happened and if you reported it. Or, you can leave an anonymous comment. 

Source:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/21-harrowing-stories-of-sexual-harassment-on-the-job_n_566f39b1e4b0fccee16f84d8

https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/task_force/harassment/upload/report.pdf

http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018-National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf

https://hbr.org/2016/10/why-we-fail-to-report-sexual-harassment

How to Empower Women

Women empowerment has been a popular topic recently, as more women continue to speak up and demand equality in all areas of life. It’s no secret, that women all over the world face injustices and gender discrimination. It’s a universal issue, that requires everyone’s support to create great change.

 Empowering women consists of supporting women in fully claiming their rights, owning their power, and ensuring equality by all means. Most men are clueless as to how to properly help and some women forget how important it is to practice uplifting other women. Either way, women deserve more which, is why we’ve rounded up a couple ways of how you can contribute.

 How can you help empower women?

1. Do not be an innocent bystander instead, be an ally and speak up for women. Your voice is powerful, remaining silent will only reward unjust practices directed at women. Speaking up in support of them can produce a chain reaction and most importantly inspire real change. 

1.  Be a mentor and advocate for equal rights and provide guidance for them to master their skills. This kind of support will help build trust as well as encourage women to realize their full potential and dreams.

1. Create an accepting atmosphere to help women feel welcomed and safe. Such space will allow women to freely express themselves and make decisions. This will help combat against the custom of always listening and following the lead of male colleagues.

1. Celebrate and cheer them on during their wins and accomplishments. This will help women regain their confidence, feel acknowledged, and valued for their efforts. Women are often denied opportunities and uncredited in the workplace so, for some it a huge deal. Don’t let their achievement go unnoticed!

1. Listen and pay attention to what they have to say. Every woman is different so practicing good communication skills will assist you in understanding the best approach that will effectively help empower her.

Women empowerment is imperative to breaking the cycle and inspiring change for the generations to come. The restrictions and limitations enforced on women had significant effects on them as a population. Thus, the empowerment of women is the key to rebuild.

Katharine Graham: First Female CEO on Fortune 500 List

 Katherine Graham was the first woman whose company made it to the Fortune 500 list in 1972. She was the CEO of the Washington Post at the time. This is a story of how her courageous decisions propelled her newspaper company to national recognition.
 Katharine Graham was born on June 16, 1917 in New York. The Washington Post came into her life when her father purchased the company for $875,000 in 1933. Katharine was always intrigued by publishing from a young age. She was part of the student newspaper at her school. After graduating, she went back to work at the Washington Post as an editor. 

 Katharine married Philip Graham in 1940. A few years later, he joined the military during WWII. After the war, her husband became the president of the Washington Post. He led the company to financial success, but he struggled with his mental health. In 1962, Katharine discovered her husband was having an affair. In 1963, he committed suicide. Katharine took over the company, and hired her choice of journalists to improve the newspaper content. Katharine was used to being the only female in meetings. 

 One of the hardest decisions she would make in her career is whether to report on the Pentagon papers. These are classified documents about U.S. military involvement with Vietnam. The report claims the presidential administration was more involved in instigating the war than they claimed. The New York Times had already been prohibited to report on it by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Washington Post decides to take charge of the story, despite facing legal and financial repercussions if they published the documents. The Washington Post fought alongside the New York Times in court to defend the freedom of the press. They eventually won the court case for permission to publish. 

 Another story that propelled the Washington Post to a prominent level is when they reported on the Watergate Scandal. Two reporters from the Post discovered president Nixon’s administration to be involved in corrupt activities. Eventually, the coverage led to the president’s resignation. 

 Katharine Graham led the Washington Post revenues to the billion mark. Stock prices rose significantly as well. She has received countless awards including a Pulitzer Prize, the Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen award, and an Excellence in Journalism award. A movie was also made about her career in 2017. The movie is called The Post, and stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. 

 Katharine Graham, unfortunately, passed away in Idaho in 2001. She overcame many obstacles throughout her life and paved the way for female CEOs. She proved that anything is possible, as long as you put your mind to it.

Source:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.notablebiographies.com/amp/Gi-He/Graham-Katharine.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biography.com/.amp/business-figure/katharine-graham

https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/katharine-graham/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Graham
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katharine_Graham_927-9432_(cropped_retouched).jpg

https://www.lmtonline.com/entertainment/article/Katharine-Graham-at-100-Inside-the-making-of-one-11223452.php#photo-13097656