... and ain't i a woman?: Sexual harassment at the top

February 7, 1996
Issue 

Sexual harassment at the top

Sexual harassment is rife in this society, including in the high-flying finance sector. On January 22, corporate giant Bankers Trust was taken to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (EOT) after harassment charges were laid by a female worker. Sexual harassment is possibly one of the biggest blocks to women pursuing careers in non-traditional areas. Julianne Ashton works on the trading floor of the Sydney Futures Exchange. She is one of only 11 women working for BT at the exchange and one of only three female BT employees on the floor. Ashton says she was called a "slut" on the trading floor and was asked on several occasions "how about a head job". When she spoke to her manager about it, her complaints were ignored and she received negative work assessments. BT has denied the claims but was obviously worried by Ashton's readiness to take her complaints to the EOT. It attempted to keep the details from the media, arguing that publicity about the case would adversely affect the bank's witnesses and their families. The fact that the company refused to deal with Ashton's complaints internally is evidence enough that it does not take the problem seriously. It seems concerned more with its image than its staff. A company representative told the tribunal that bad language was common but never malicious; it was just part of the culture of the workplace and women were treated exactly the same as men: "We accept it and we get on with it. It's part of the job." Ashton was also denigrated by company witnesses as a "very conservative person — she didn't like the quips she was receiving". For most women, being the target of some form of sexual harassment is a daily experience. Sexual harassment is so commonplace that it is not always recognised as such, even by those who receive it. The confusion (and deliberate mystification) about what is and isn't sexual harassment was highlighted last year by the publication of Helen Garner's The First Stone, in which she attacked two Ormond College students for laying sexual harassment charges against their college master. Because this harassment is so widespread, women who take action against it are often not taken seriously or are isolated. Their complaints often get mixed up with conservatism and sexual moralism — they just can't cope with course language or sexual innuendo, it's said. These are ridiculous assertions. Sexual harassment is not acceptable in any form, anywhere. Challenging and changing this sort of behaviour is part and parcel of achieving equal opportunity for women. Sexual harassment is part of the overall oppression of women. Sexism fosters the objectification of women, the idea that they are primarily sex objects and can be treated as such. These ideas are re-created and reinforced every minute of every day in the establishment media and advertising industry. Sexual harassment undermines women's confidence. Ashton's claim that, as a result of her harassment, she went from being "very healthy and sociable to being run down and reclusive" is not unusual. The struggle against sexual harassment is an important one in the struggle for women's liberation. It challenges sexist stereotypes and can enable women to have more control over and self-confidence in their lives. Individual women should be supported to challenge this behaviour in their workplaces and in the courts. Ultimately, however, the challenge needs to be bigger and broader, for without women's liberation in all spheres of life, sexual harassment will continue to be a daily reality for most women. By Trish Corcoran

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