FES-GSEE study shows high levels of sexual harassment, violence against women in workplaces

In an announcement coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) on Monday announced the findings of a first official survey into sexual harassment and violence targeting women in the workplace, conducted in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).

Seeking to highlight a long-term and serious lack of data on the phenomenon – and by extension, the lack of state accountability for ineffective protection of the victims – GSEE and FES participated in an international survey to produce the first official study into sexual harassment and violence in Greece after the ratification of the International Labour Agreement of 2021 was adopted, complementing the patchy existing legislation.

Based on its findings, 31.4% of the 876 participants in the survey in Greece said that they had been victims of sexual harassment at work, of which 75.3% were women. The problem predominately concerned the private sector (77.1%) but was also present in the public sector (17.8%), while it occurred in all sectors of the Greek economy.

The profile of the perpetrators was primarily that of either a workplace colleague with a more senior position (49.4%), an employer (40.4%) or customer (27.1%), while the harassment was both physical, verbal, non-verbal and digital. The victims reported a significant adverse impact on their mental health and productivity at work, while several of the victims felt compelled to quit their workplace (24.7%).

The survey also highlighted the extent to which such phenomena are under-reported to the authorities, with only 1.6% proceeding to report the harassment. The victims said that they did not go to the authorities because “they don’t trust them” (27.2%), or because they believe that nothing can be done (51.1%).

Among those responding to the survey, only 28.5% said that there was a relevant code of ethics in their company, only 21.1% reported a complaints procedure within their company and only 3.1% had a collective agreement referring to sexual harassment.The study also analysed the role of trade unions and institutions in the prevention and protection against sexual harassment at work.A GSEE announcement said that a presentation of the study will take place at the Athens Journalists’ Union offices on December 9, on World Human Rights Day.

Πηγή: pagenews.gr