Finding research on sexual harassment is nearly impossible, that is, in reference to it being outside of the workplace. It goes so much further than sitting behind a desk, yet millions of people experience it on a daily basis and it’s written off.
Sexual harassment by definition is the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.
There are no direct references to the workplace in this definition. So, why are we ignoring that it takes place just about anywhere you step foot? It can happen in the grocery store, a restaurant and even on the walk to your front door.
As a 23 year old, there is one location that truly grinds my gears — nightlife. As a society, we have merely written off the idea of sexual harassment in a bar or club. It’s almost as if it’s to be expected when you walk into a place that solely serves alcohol.
In a 2018 parliament report, it was stated that, "It is a cultural norm, and women are no longer surprised to be hassled, harassed or assaulted (in nightlife locations)."
I can attest to the culture of laughing off a cat call or offensive comments toward my body. I am a woman after all, which apparently means my body is an open forum to the public.
We are expected to brush it off, because at the end of the day, there are no enforcements focused around the belittling of women. Even in the workplace — where it is most commonly referenced — there’s no overarching law.
Sexual harassment in the workplace isn’t prohibited by law until it becomes frequent or severe or when it results in the employee being fired for their actions, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Women are not the only ones subjected to this defilement, though, -- many men experience the same grotesque comments. One in nine men have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public setting, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We live in an age where these comments are just part of our daily routine. Before people go out in any public place, they merely have to prepare themselves for the possible comments they may receive. Though it may seem outrageous, it's severely common.
Women and men shouldn’t have to become acclimated to being sexually harassed. There’s no rational reasoning to these actions. Just because it doesn’t rise to the levels of severity outside of the workplace, doesn’t mean it should be culturally accepted in public places.
