Young Women’s Trust has joined forces with the TUC to call on the Government to end workplace sexual harassment by making it mandatory for employers to take preventative steps.
The coalition of charities and trade unions is petitioning the minister for women and equalities, Penny Mordaunt, to put a legal duty on employers to take proactive action to prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces.
Young Women’s Trust Media Manager Bex Bailey said:
“We have heard a huge number of testimonies from women in all sectors but we are still waiting for action to end sexual harassment.
“No woman should feel unsafe at work or unable to say something when she is sexually harassed. Yet huge numbers tell us they are still scared of reporting harassment for fear of losing their job, with many not even knowing how to report it.
“We’re calling on the Government to make it mandatory for all employers to protect their workers from harassment and victimisation. Alongside this, employers should make it easier to report abuse by customers and clients, as well as colleagues, and put in place unbiased reporting processes that do not penalise victims.
“Making workplaces safe for women is not just the right thing to do, it will also benefit businesses and the economy.
“We cannot delay this any longer.”
Note to editors
- Young Women’s Trust supports and represents women aged 18 to 30 in England and Wales trapped by low or no pay and facing a life of poverty. The charity provides services and runs campaigns to make sure that the talents of young women don’t go to waste.
- Figures relating to young people’s views are based on findings from a survey carried out for Young Women’s Trust by Populus Data Solutions. A representative sample of 4,010 18 to 30 year olds and 1,115 54 to 72 year olds in England and Wales, with panel services provided by Populus Live, were surveyed between 29 June and 16 July 2018. The survey shows that:
- 15% of young women (some 800,000 young women), have been sexually harassed at work and not reported it – double the number of women who have experienced it and reported it (8%).
- A third of young women (32%) say they don’t know how to report sexual harassment.
- 1 in 5 young women (18%) say that they are too scared to report sexual harassment at work and a quarter of young women (24%) would be reluctant to report sexual harassment for fear of losing their job, or fear of being given fewer hours (17%).
