This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
Published on October 12, 2019, a study across five European countries revealed alarming statistics on workplace sexism.
According to the research, 60% of women in Europe have suffered gender-based or sexual violence at work. This staggering figure includes 21% of women who reported such attacks in the last 12 months, with over 40% of those victims being under the age of 30.
The study, conducted by French research group Ifop, also found that more than 10% of the 5,000 respondents reported being subjected to 'forced or unwanted' sex from someone in their workplace. This disturbing trend highlights the grey area that may exist around consent, particularly in contexts of subordination, intimidation, or manipulation.
Furthermore, the study revealed that 9% of women were pressured by a colleague to commit an 'act of a sexual nature', such as sex in exchange for a job or promotion. Additionally, 18% of women reported being touched inappropriately, including unwanted physical contact like a hand on the bottom, a forced hug, or an unwanted kiss.
The study was conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and Spain, and it also found that sexual violence, including whistling, gestures, rude comments, or leering, was the most common attack, affecting 46% of women. This trend was particularly pronounced in Germany, where 56% of women reported experiencing sexual violence.
Notably, the authors of the report stated that 'a very small minority of victims of workplace harassment manage to break the wall of silence' and speak out. Only 13% of women who were touched inappropriately and 16% of those who were pressured into a sexual relationship reported speaking to someone, such as a superior or trade unionist, to solve the problem internally.
