Unheard Voices of Victims of Workplace Sexual Harassment

An Empirical Investigation in China

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.211215.031How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Workplace sexual harassment; Chinese Civil Code; Gender inequality; Employer liability; Stigmatization

Abstract

Article 1010 of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China regulates sexual harassment and provides for prevention and intervention mechanisms. However, workplace sexual harassment is still prevalent and has various negative consequences for victims, particularly for young women. Drawing on data collected from networking platforms, we conducted online surveys and interviews with victims who had experienced unwanted sexual advances or harassment in the workplace. Of the respondents, 68% had been sexually harassed and 65% remained silent. It was found that many cases of workplace sexual harassment were hidden because of the lack of appropriate laws and a culture of stigmatization. On the basis of our research, we make the following suggestions: workplace sexual harassment should be clearly defined and addressed by law; employers’ liabilities should be clarified; and a supervisory mechanism should be established and implemented to prevent and curtail sexual harassment in China.

Copyright

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

Open Access

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Fang Gao
AU  - Xia Li
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/12/15
TI  - Unheard Voices of Victims of Workplace Sexual Harassment
BT  - Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Conference on Social Science and Contemporary Humanity Development (SSCHD 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 167
EP  - 178
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211215.031
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.211215.031
ID  - Gao2021
ER  -