Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Sexual Harassment: A Growing Concern in Hospital Settings


Affiliations
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology USOL, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
2 Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, USOL Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Since the independence of India, the number of women coming out for work has increased substantially and the efforts were also made to elevate the status of women in India by removing their social and economic disabilities. It will be agreed that the levels of economic equality and independence are the true indicators to determine the status of women. Employment of women, therefore, is a necessary corollary to achieve gender equality and gender justice. The Indian Constitution grants equality to women and the Government of India has brought out specific legislations to protect and safeguard their rights and interests. Women have started working in every field and also experience number of problems at workplace. One such problem is Sexual Harassment at Workplace. Sexual harassment at workplace is an occupational hazard encountered across the world that reduces the quality of working life, jeopardizes the well-being of women and men, undermines gender equality and imposes costs on firms and organizations. The present paper is an attempt to know about the extent of the problem of sexual harassment in the hospitals and the types of coping mechanisms used by the respondents to handle the problem of sexual harassment at workplace.

Keywords

sexual harassment, workplace, working women, incidence, coping mechanism
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Alanna, V. (2015). ―1 IN 3 women has been sexually harassed at work. Retrieved from www.cosmopolitian.com American Nurses Association (2006). House of delegates resolution. Workplace abuse and harassment of nurses. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/ MemberCenterCategories/ANAGovernance/HODArchives/2006HOD/Actions

  • Chaudhary, R. (2011). Sexual harassment: Threat to working women. Deep and Deep Publications, New Delhi.

  • Chaudhry, P. (2007). ―Experiences of sexual harassment of women health workers in four hospitals in Kolkata, India. Retrieved from www.rhm-elesvier.com

  • Elston, M.A., Gabe, J., & O'Beirne, M. (2006). A risk of the job? Violence against nurses from patients and the public as an emerging policy issue in risk and nursing practice”. Palgrave Macmillan Publications, New York, pp. 130-137.

  • Farley, L. (1978). Sexual shakedown: The sexual harassment of women on the job. New York, McGraw Hill.

  • Farrell, G.A., Bobrowski, C., & Bobrowski, P. (2006). ―Scoping workplace aggression in nursing: Findings from an australian study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 55(6), 778-787.

  • Fitzgerald, L.F., Drasgow, F., Hulin, C.l., Gelfand, M.J., & Magley, V.J. (1997). ― Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organisations, a test of an integrated models. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(4), 578-589.

  • ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI (2002). ―Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector. Geneva: ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI Joint Programme on Workplace Violence in the Health Sector International Labor Office ILO International Council of Nurses ICN World Health Organization WHO Public Services International PSI Joint Programme on Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Geneva.

  • International Labor Organisation (2001). ― Action against sexual harassment at work in Asia and pacific. Technical Report for discussion at the ILO/Japan Regional Tripartite Seminar on Action Against Sexual Harassment at work in Asia and the Pacific, Penang, Malaysia, 2-4 Oct.

  • Kamchuchat, C., Chongsuvivatwong, V., Oncheunjit, S., Yip, T.W., & Sangthong, R. (2008). ―Workplace violence directed at nursing staff at a general hospital in Southern Thailand. Journal of Occupational Health, 50(2), 201-207. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18403873

  • Kwok, R.P., Law, Y.K., Li, K.E., Cheung, M.H., & Fung, V.K. (2006). ―Prevalence of workplace violence against nurses in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Medical Journal, 12(1), 69. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16495582

  • Merit System Protection Board (1981). ― Sexual harassment in the federal work places: Is it a problem? cited in Russell, Diana, E.H. (1984). Sexual exploitation: Rape, child sexual abuse and workplace harassment. Beverly Hills, Sage Publishers.

  • National Advisory Council on Nurse Education & Practice (2007). Violence against Nurses. An assessment of The Causes and Impacts of Violence in Nursing Education and Practice. Retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com

  • National Commission for Women (NCW) (2014). Study to access the harassment of women at work in organized and unorganized sectors. New Delhi, Report prepared by Santek Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

  • National Crime Records Bureau (2016). ― Crime against women. Retrieved from http:// Nlrb.nic.in//cii2016/home.htm.

  • Priyanka, V. (2016). Years after the attack on Aruna Shanbaug, there has been no let up in sexual violence in hospitals. Retrieved from https://scroll.in/pulse/823769/yearsafter-the-attack-on-aruna-shanbaug-there-has-been-no-let-up-in-sexual-violencein-hospitals.

  • Vishal, K. (2015). ―Anti-harassment policy. The Indian Express/Health Express. Retrieved from www.ComplyKaro.com

  • WHO (2010). Wanted: 2.4 million nurses, and that's just in India. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/5/10-020510.pdf

  • Yadav, M. (2010). ―Sexual harassment of women: Current scenario of Indian hospitals. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, 29(4), 122-143.


Abstract Views: 387

PDF Views: 0




  • Sexual Harassment: A Growing Concern in Hospital Settings

Abstract Views: 387  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Reena Chaudhary
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology USOL, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Manvir Kaur
Research Scholar, Department of Sociology, USOL Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

Abstract


Since the independence of India, the number of women coming out for work has increased substantially and the efforts were also made to elevate the status of women in India by removing their social and economic disabilities. It will be agreed that the levels of economic equality and independence are the true indicators to determine the status of women. Employment of women, therefore, is a necessary corollary to achieve gender equality and gender justice. The Indian Constitution grants equality to women and the Government of India has brought out specific legislations to protect and safeguard their rights and interests. Women have started working in every field and also experience number of problems at workplace. One such problem is Sexual Harassment at Workplace. Sexual harassment at workplace is an occupational hazard encountered across the world that reduces the quality of working life, jeopardizes the well-being of women and men, undermines gender equality and imposes costs on firms and organizations. The present paper is an attempt to know about the extent of the problem of sexual harassment in the hospitals and the types of coping mechanisms used by the respondents to handle the problem of sexual harassment at workplace.

Keywords


sexual harassment, workplace, working women, incidence, coping mechanism

References