Victims of gender-based violence urged to open up

Dar es Salaam. It is not uncommon to hear a person asked for sexual favour in exchange for employment.

Very few of such incidents were reported in the past. In recent years, however, there is an increase in report on such issues due to awareness imparted to the young job seekers, especially women.

It is such incidents which forced authorities all over the world to devise various strategies and mechanisms to safeguard women against sexual abuse and other forms of ill-treatment.

African Charter on the rights and welfare of children is one of the instruments which have been put in place at continental level to address sexual abuse.

However, even as many people are increasingly becoming aware of the sexual abuse, the incidents of bosses using their positions at work places to demand erotic favours have not been addressed until recently when the world witnessed various efforts to crack down on the vice.

Known as ‘sextortion’, this form of sexual abuse entails ones abuse of his power to unduly seek sexual favours from his subordinates.

To a great extent, it is women who are the major victims of sextortion though there are some men who also suffer from this predicament.

Sextortion does not happen to job seekers only. Students, believers, patients, a person in detention and others in similar situation might become victims. There are clerics who force women to strip naked and touch their private parts as part of their blessings. There are some doctors who ask their patients to undress simply because they want to touch their private parts while the treatment does not call for that action. Sextortion entails more than corruption or sexual abuse.

In sexual abuse, for instance, usually the person in power is the one who demands for sexual favours. He usually uses his position as a way of inducing the other person to give in to his demands. In doing so, qualifications of the job seeker, rules and regulations, for instance, are disregarded by the boss. This form of corruption has three main features. First, one uses power and position to extort sex from another person. The power can be of any form – position at work or a religious leader. An important thing here is that the powers should be legal.

Second, the power is used as inducement to force another party to give in and third it is a form of abuse which, in many cases, leads to psychological torture.

Effects of sextortion

In most cases, a person who uses his or her position to demand sex will also determine how and where the sex is performed. Usually, the ‘giver’ has no say in the act. If the one in power decides that no protection is used during intercourse, the ‘giver’ will most probably agree because of his or her weak bargaining point. This, without saying, is one factor which fuels spread of HIV.

Sextortion is also another form of widening inequity in the community.

And if it ends with one getting employment after giving sexual favours, often, performance will be jeopardised because hiring was not done in consideration of one’s merits.

There are cases where the two, the offender and the giver decide to continue with the ‘habit’ and this usually leads to marital scuffles. There are other cases where one becomes pregnant as a result of this form of sexual abuse but the responsible partner refuses to accept responsibility.

If sextortion is taken as another form of harassment, it has more other effects. According to International labour Organisation (ILO), when a woman is harassed, humiliated or assaulted at work, the very notion of decent work for all is imperilled and people are all less free. When a woman comes to work, bruised in body and spirit, people should take a stand.

In his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ILO director general Guy Ryder, said all people must be clear that gender equality is the means to eliminate violence in the world of work and that gender equality is the goal.

“The traditional approach that seeks to protect “vulnerable” women, casts them in the role of victim. Let us focus instead on transforming gender stereotypes and unequal power relations between men and women that underpin such violence,” he says in the message.

In its meeting of worker, employer and government experts on “Violence against Women and Men in the World of Work” held last months, ILO observed that violence and harassment may prevent women from entering the labour market, especially in male-dominated sectors and jobs and remaining therein.

The meeting also took note that workers, particularly women are at risk when they are expected to provide sexual services or endure harassment in exchange for getting a job or promotion, in order to keep a job or in order to access their wages;

“The ILO is carrying doing a research to deepen understanding on why women are disproportionately affected by violence and harassment at work and what it takes to prevent and protect them against the vice,” he said.

“What’s more, the world’s governments, employers and workers are preparing for new international labour standards on violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work, with a first discussion scheduled at the International Labour Conference in June 2018.”

Religious leaders

Sextortion does not apply in public offices only. It might also be practised by people in power in private sector and worse, religious leaders can also be engaged in this form of abuse.

There are many incidents where believers, notably women, are cuddled by priests during prayers or consultations. There are other cases where spiritual leaders demand for sexual favours from a believer so that he or she can pray for him or her.

In other cases, religious leaders might seek sexual favours from employee so as to enable him or her get promoted.

In most cases, religious leaders use their position to prey on believers, especially after enticing the congregation to trust that the leader holds certain religious powers be it healing or praying for miracles.

Unwilling partners

Many people engage themselves in this kind of sexual abuse, especially irrespective of the givers’ consent. It is the problem which forces them to rely on the demands of those in power.

But in other instances, there are some people who cling on favouritism because they don’t qualify for job or promotion. Such people might use whatever tactics to lure their bosses into considering them for top positions. Such people usually use sex as inducement.

Take action

In many sextortion cases, the victims fail to report the incidents given their position in relation to the boss. They fear that in so doing they might end up losing their positions.

But, by not reporting you are putting yourself in a very hard situation. The psychological anguish will continue to torment you and you will never experience peace. The best way to do if you find yourself in such a situation is to report the incident immediately to responsible organs.

If you feel that you cannot go to the police or prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), you might consider reporting the incident to the ethics committee at your work station.

Those who have whistle-blowers at their work places they might also consider reporting the incident to them. This will guarantee secrecy as no one will know who has reported the matter. But it is better to report such sexual abuse to the PCCB because anti-corruption act also covers such kind of offences. Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act of 2007 make sextortion one of the corruption offences under section 25.

Besides, section 130 of the Penal Code makes rape and sexual abuse as offences which should be penalised.