Breaking the silence

From next month, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill will strengthen existing protection for workers against sexual harassment. Employers will have a new duty to take steps to prevent harassment. It is my view that we need to look way beyond this.

This week, the Mohamed Al Fayed story has been pressing down on me. It’s even heavier in light of the Gisèle Pelicot case, which continues to unfold in a French courtroom. The weight of these stories is significant, yet all too familiar.

As a woman who has spent my entire adult life navigating the professional world, after years in schools and other organisations, I have witnessed countless examples of inappropriate behaviour and harassment against women. That truth alone is a burden - one I know many other women also carry.

But when I expand my personal experiences, extrapolating them across our country and the globe, the truth is stark and undeniable: this behaviour is endemic. If what I’ve witnessed is happening in other workplaces, homes, and institutions, then there is more - much more than any of us realise. A hidden web of stories, often unreported, invisible in plain sight.

The real trouble starts when this endemic behaviour takes place in scenarios where there is an imbalance of power. It is in these cases that inappropriate behaviour spirals into the dark, horrifying stories we see splashed across headlines today. The greater the power differential, the more extreme the abuse becomes.

Sadly, we have to rely on the factors which determine outcomes in harassment cases such as the personal strength of the women involved, the strength of their support network, the culture of the organisation where it occurs and, crucially, the weight of the power imbalance itself. Women are left fighting in a system, often without protection, against forces much more powerful than themselves. The sad truth is that too many women are not believed when they do come forward.

We need to go beyond ticking boxes on harassment policies or relying on corporate risk management approaches. We must go deeper - to the root cause. This means rethinking how we educate young people. We must continue to call out behaviours that perpetuate a lack of respect for women. Microaggressions, though subtle, are everywhere. I have seen them all. Being asked to grab the coffee in a meeting, being told you’re “too emotional” or not "alpha male" enough, being shouted down, aggressions dismissed as "just banter" - these are the seeds of a much larger problem. Being labelled "aggressive" when standing your ground, being belittled for juggling childcare responsibilities, or having a point over-explained to you in a meeting - these are the everyday moments we must challenge. Always ask: “Would you say that to a man?” That’s the bare minimum.

But it’s not just about educating boys and men. Cultural conditioning of girls starts early, and nothing saddens me more than seeing schoolgirls in tiny skirts, still playing out the same tired narratives of my youth. It’s 2024, yet girls are still rolling up their skirts, pushing the limits of school dress codes. Of course, in an ideal world, a girl should be able to walk around in a bikini and be left alone. That is the unavoidable truth. I would, however, like to question why society teaches girls that exposing their bodies equates to beauty? Meanwhile, boys get to move comfortably through adolescence in jeans and t-shirts, their worth rarely questioned by their peers based on the amount of coverage afforded by their attire. School should be a space for equal learning and growth - but, right now, the playing field is far from level. It is here that the objectification of women begins.

The stories emerging in the UK and France must serve as a wake-up call. They underscore, yet again, why urgent action is needed. Male allies are crucial in this fight. We need men not just to stand beside us, but to act. We need them to understand, and call out, the root causes of the issue and to intervene when it begins. Every “small” instance of disrespect matters because it is these micro-issues that make up the darker whole; where violence against women goes on, in silence.

The incredibly brave women coming forward right now, must not be let down. Their courage is a rallying cry for a safer, more equal world for future generations. It is up to all of us to listen and to act, for of our girls and women.

“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg