Wales TUC has launched a new toolkit on tackling sexual harassment in the workplace.  The resource, co-authored by Welsh Women’s Aid, will give workers in Wales the information they need to tackle this problem.

Sexual harassment is such a pervasive issue in workplaces that more than half of women in the UK have experienced it. This rises to nearly two in three women aged 18-24.

Wales TUC believes that sexual harassment is part of a wider, relentless culture of sexual violence and misogyny and not a low-level act that should be accepted as an inevitable part of everyday life.  They feel that it is essential for everyone to question behaviours that make women feel less safe at home, at school, in public and at work.

Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC General Secretary, said:

“No one should go to work fearing they may be the victim of sexual harassment. We want to create an environment that allows workers to come forward and seek support, and to be believed and helped when they need it. We all have a role to play in tackling sexual harassment and we cannot be bystanders when it takes place.”

The toolkit includes information to help workers identify workplace sexual harassment and advice on how to hold employers to account.  It also outlines how to campaign for a zero-tolerance approach to workplace sexual harassment through preventative measures.

Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO of Welsh Women’s Aid said:

“It is vital that we all commit to a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and that employers are equipped to provide trauma-informed, person-centred responses to those employees who disclose to them, alongside implementing robust mechanisms for accountability.”

Photo: Wales TUC