Yes, All Women
I recently had a surprising discussion with my husband and friends of ours who are also a heterosexual couple. We, the ladies, were commenting on a situation that occurred at a conference we had all attended together, where a female speaker was privately harassed during an evening at the bar (during the conference and at the hosting hotel) and made a point of speaking out about what had happened publicly.
There was a huge backlash among the mainly-male-attendees about how she had overblown the perceived danger of the situation (essentially being followed into an elevator at the conference hotel by someone she had turned down for a drink/date). We, the wives, brought the situation to the attention of our husbands and were shocked to discover they also didn’t understand what all the hullaballoo was about. But we understood her perspective.
And it wasn't until I gave my husband a personal day-to-day example – of how I think twice before I open the door when the doorbell rings, how I look outside to assess the situation and who is there before I unlock the door – that he began to see the problem. Because that is not his world: He doesn’t think twice about whether someone is going to push their way into our space and take something that isn’t theirs. He doesn’t wonder when he’s walking down the street about how to respond to a wolfwhistle – whether it’s better to ignore it completely or to gently acknowledge it (but not so much as to encourage more!) because either one could lead to trouble. He doesn’t worry that people will judge him for speaking up – or for not speaking up – equally (and often inconsistently).
He doesn't think that way because he doesn't have to. But I do. Because I'm a woman. And that's one example of something that happens all. the. time.
What steps do you take to ensure your employees are aware of your expectations for their behavior – at work and when representing your company off-site (even after-hours)?
How do you train your workers to respond to situations they witness – or experience – in your workplace?
What else could you do to enhance the feeling of safety – physical and psychological – in your work environment? Who could you invite to be part of the process to assess and improve that?
I was reminded of the above by this story. READ MORE
(And it starts early: 1 in 10 American girls experience catcalls or general street harassment -- before the age of 11.