Sexual harassment in the workplace

From school to work through the university and the street, sexual harassment against women is practiced ad nauseam. The phenomenon is surrounded by a heavy omerta for girls and women but also men.

In the workplace - no analysis is not interested - women continue to suffer harassment but can not prove it. Ms. Najat Razi, President of the Moroccan Association for the Rights of Women has opened the doors of the center listening to his association. It is the voices of dozens of women who chose to turn to the association.

Ms. Najat Razi (right), President of the Moroccan Association for Women's Rights, with members of his team.

- What is the role of the center FAMA in fighting against violence against women?
- The center is a welcoming space for women victims of violence. It is there to greet them and strengthen them. This is a listening, counseling and legal advice but also offers medical assistance, coaching and support to women to help them cope with violence.

- How many cases of sexual harassment at work have you received?

- Often statistics do not reflect reality. One hears in the street in our neighborhood or at work, women are routinely sexually harassed in the street, in schools, in the transport ... but the subject remains taboo. In 2000, our association has conducted a study in secondary schools and higher Casablanca. 90% of IT managers recognize that harassment exists in their institution. This means that it is a widespread phenomenon but it is difficult to speak. First, there are disadvantages related to our culture: women often do not know how to report sexual harassment. First they blame themselves. Then they fear "hchouma", "the fdiha" ... and prefer to remain silent. And when they have the courage to denounce it, they can be the subject of revenge, either by their supervisor, their teacher or their boss ... all these constraints is to prevent women from speaking up but we are trying to encourage them to denounce.

- When you get a woman who was a victim of sexual harassment in her work, what do you advise her?

- Before 2004, it was only psychological support. But since 2004, after the reform of the penal code in 2003, we currently have a section which criminalizes sexual harassment from one year to 5 years and a fine of up to 50 000 HR, but only if we succeed in prove that harassment. Because it is often an event that occurs between two people behind closed doors. What differentiates the stalker of a violent man is that he usually uses his power, so is fear and authority come in. But usually the stalker uses means, he tries to insinuate the woman he desires and offers to go out with him and sleep with him without being direct. Sometimes the victim but the bully denounced categorically denies. He intimidates pushing to feel guilty rather than take legal action against him. He is careful that there are no witnesses and take all precautions that will be in a frame and with a formula that can not be proved subsequently. When asked what the law is reformed, we required flexibility in the proceedings of the evidence, the judge began an investigation and he had to return to the harasser to prove his innocence. But this has so far not been taken into account. This explains why there are not many cases in court. First, women are unaware that there is currently a law that penalizes harassment, and second because it's very difficult to prove.

- Is there already had a case where a woman was successful in proving sexual harassment she suffered?

- We were able to prove cases of harassment in the workplace in cases where the harasser did not target a single woman but several victims. When more women begin a proceeding, the judge is convinced.

Where possible we try to gather as much evidence. We had a case where the victim has demonstrated sufficient intelligence to condemn his stalker: she saved the e-mails and SMS (on his laptop) ... These are things the court has considered and was subsequently successful in proving sexual harassment. But it is very rare. The woman must be well informed, intelligent, courageous and daring to defend its dignity.

- The victim managed it so far to keep his job?

- In eight cases we have treated here at the center, since the reform of the law, there have been cases that have lost and have not even been submitted to the prosecutor, and the cases were classified for lack of evidence. In other cases, the procedure was successful and the woman has received a ruling in his favor. Of course the amendment was minimal, but for us it was a success. But the woman has preferred to leave his job. It has not been returned during the procedure because she was working in a public institution. By cons, if the private sector, the woman is in a more vulnerable position because the first risk is that it be dismissed from her job. For that, we demanded a reform of the law that guarantees women the right to keep his job and that the witnesses are also protected, because several witnesses refused to testify out of fear of retribution from the boss. That is another debate that we must begin, the law is there but how to enforce it.

- What advice to give to a female victim of sexual harassment?

- We have published a comprehensive guide to guide women victims of sexual harassment. But roughly, it does not let the woman feel guilty, she needs to rest and Zen she thinks a plan to gather evidence in order to terminate the harasser. It should immediately talk to someone, even a work colleague because the judge takes into consideration the fact that another person's knowledge. She must keep up the traces of this behavior and be courageous to speak directly to the court or counseling center of the association that will guide and accompany her to enforce rights. It can even go to the union or the labor inspector, because even if he does nothing, if ever a woman starts a legal procedure, it may indicate that it has consulted. The key is to break the silence and the woman knows that she is the victim and that her body is and that nobody has the right to touch it, it has the right to be blooming in his work and that the harassment is not a reason to destroy its vitality.

Sexual harassment in schools:

The Moroccan Association for Women's Rights has conducted a study on sexual harassment in schools and secondary schools in December 2000 among a sample of 1,000 people: 500 students and 500 students. The figures were very revealing: 96.2% of girls interviewed said that the existence of sexual harassment in schools and universities and 94.2% of them consider that this phenomenon is increasingly common.

Of the cases interviewed, 83.8% of pupils and students have suffered verbal harassment and 58.7% suffer harassment video. Then the physical harassment such as touching (28.2%) and sexual assault involving 8% of girls interviewed. Among the girls surveyed, 69.4% of them involve harassment with physical behaviors (touching, physical contact) and 74.6% of them think they could be harassed during their school.