Beyond the tip of the iceberg: Exploring the mismatch between perceived and actual sexual harassment experiences by working females in Indian healthcare settings.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40256056.
- Also identified by DOI 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1538_24 and PMC identifier 12007777.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-SA.
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Abstract
In India, sexual harassment (SH) is broadly recognized as unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, ranging from inappropriate comments and touching to sexual assault. We hypothesized that an iceberg phenomenon exists in SH and attempted to document the gap between perceived and actual SH experiences faced by working women in the Indian healthcare setting. The study offers recommendations based on the research findings. A multicentric research was conducted across four zones of India, employing a cross-sectional design with online surveys and face-to-face interviews among female healthcare workers. 'Perceived SH' was assessed by asking the criterion question: 'Have you been sexually harassed?' 'Actual SH' was determined based on the revised Fitzgerald Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ-5). Among the 601 respondents, 7.2% perceived that they had been sexually harassed at their workplace in the past 12 months. However, using the SEQ-5, the actual proportion of those experiencing SH rose to an astonishing 50.7%. About one-third (30.0%) of FHCW reported experiencing unpleasant staring. Attempted bribery for sexual cooperation was documented in 4.5%, while attempted sexual intercourse was witnessed by 3.0% of FHCW. We also observed an overall poor perception and knowledge of SH as only about half of the respondents considered it common (52.5%), and approximately one-third were aware of the Indian SH Act and its provisions. A significant gap between perceived and actual SH shatters the myth of female healthcare workers being most educated in India. There is a need for focused education and training on sexual harassment knowledge and prevention. Enforcing existing regulations, creating supportive and safe workplace environments, and providing accessible reporting mechanisms are essential to address this issue and protect the rights of female healthcare workers.