Monday 8 February 2016

Institutionalised sexism?

Workplace sexual harassment is often dismissed as "banter" and sometimes banter will be the right word when no offence is meant or taken (or is "zero tolerance" the right approach?). But is systematic harassment of a junior colleague, with innuendo, downright filthy suggestions and coupled with racist remarks ever tolerable?
A young woman recruit to the gendarmerie, who came originally from La Réunion, found herself in this position when appointed to a provincial gendarmerie. A colleague and a superior officer are both accused of making suggestive remarks ("Reunion girls are hot for it"), lewd propositions ("how about a blow job") even suggesting a threesome. The defendants claimed that it was just normal banter, such as would pass between colleagues. Or, they claimed, she simply was making a fuss to get a transfer to her companion in Paris.
The tribunal president did not seem over-impressed with the defence arguments, expressing her amazement at times, so perhaps the judgement due on 5th April may be severe.
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