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2% were sexually assaulted. 34% of aggressors in these cases held superior positions in the workplace, while 23% were employees of the same level as the victim, and the remaining 20% of cases were committed by union leaders. They put this information into five different tables creating a more visual aspect, which I will not include.
Interviews with these women reveal that women workers acquiesce that sexual harassment in the workplace is part of a larger problem of violence against their gender, and they think it has something to do with the mexican culture that encourages male superiority. They also suggest that sexual harassment is underreported due to lack of awareness and lack of support meaning women don’t know where to go to seek for help. Along with the general assumption that women don’t receive legal help and those that do have a very low success rate.
A very significant problem is that many women are not able to identify what sexual harassment is. Many women are startled at the behaviors they have received at their place of work for years was indeed considered sexual harassment and that could take action against that if they would like too. Those who are familiar with the term sexual harassment have different connotations for what it entails and what they are legally protected against.
Furthermore, national and state legislation to fight sexual harassment is not similar nor comprehensive. For example, the states that require damage to the victims in order to be criminal are only addressing around the 14% of harassment cases in which this happens. The remainder of cases that do not involve damage to the victims but that
still offend the victim are not protected under the law. Likewise the states with laws requiring the perpetrator to be in a higher position than the victim also put them at a disadvantage, as 23% of reported cases in this study occurred between co-workers of the same level in the workplace. These arrangements in the law make it especially hard for victims to achieve justice and receive compensation.
“Unfortunately, those responsible for protecting workers are sometimes the ones initiating harassment. Findings from this study show that 20% of reported cases of sexual harassment were initiated by union leaders, and 7% were by police officers. It is difficult for women to demand support from authorities when they cannot recognize harassment themselves and are not informed of their legal options.
Government officials in Mexico must initiate a public awareness campaign against sexual harassment so that former and potential victims can recognize such behavior and take action against it. Criminal and labor legislation must be amended to be in compliance with international standards prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace, and law enforcement officers should receive training on how to handle these issues. Unions should also be more active in preventing such behavior, and employers (especially in certain sectors where women workers are more prevalent) should be forced to provide training programs on sexual harassment in the workplace. Only then can Mexico promote workplaces that are free of violence against women.”