Sexual Harassment As A Human Rights Issue

Women’s  advocates  around  the  world  work  to further  women’s  right  to  be  free  from sexual harassment.  Critical  to  these efforts  to  combat  sexual harassment  has  been  the growing recognition  of sexual harassment  as  a  form  of violence against women which violates  women’s  human rights.  States  are  obligated under international law to take effective  steps  to  protect women  from  violence  and  to hold harassers and/or their employers accountable for sexual harassment in the workplace or school.

Sexual  harassment  is  a  violation  of  women’s human  rights  and  a  prohibited  form of violence against  women  in  many  countries.  Sexually harassing conduct causes devastating physical and psychological injuries to a large percentage of women around the world.

Harassment directed against women is an obstacle to  women’s  empowerment,  interferes with  the integration of women in the workforce, reinforces workplace  or  school  policies against  gender discrimination,  especially regarding discriminatory  working  conditions and  sexual harassment and to develop mechanisms for the regular review and monitoring of such laws.

Sexual harassment in the workplace or school is a violation of women’s human rights and a prohibited form of violence against women. Sexual harassment causes incalculable economic, psychological and physical harm to its victims and serves to reinforce the subordination of women to men in the workplace or school.