Harassment At Workplace: Cause And Prevention

2018-05-11

Harassment is considered one of the most important issues that might negatively affect an organizational environment and the individuals as well. Harassment is the act of unwanted and annoying actions of one group or individual that may induce threats and  demands.

It includes racial prejudice, personal malice, or to grant sexual favors, forcing someone to quit a job or applying illegal pressure to collect a bill. The harasser can be a male or female. Most of the times, the harassment is targetted at the opposite gender but sometimes the victim belongs to the same gender of the harasser.

Workplace harassment is the type of sexual harassment that may be unlawful when employees are subjected to unwanted actions or comments of sexual nature, sexual stories or innuendos, discussion about employees sex lives, unwanted touching or requesting for sex or sexual material in the workplace.

Workplace harassment has now become very common because the women in the contemporary world have started working in every field of life along with men.

Though sexual harassment at the workplace has assumed serious proportions, women do not report the matter to the concerned authorities in most cases due to fear of reprisal from the harasser, losing one’s livelihood, being stigmatized, or losing professional standing and personal reputation.

Across the globe, today, sexual harassment at workplace is increasingly understood as a violation of women’s rights and a form of violence against women. Indeed, the social construct of male privileges in society continues to be used to justify violence against women in the private and public sphere. In essence, sexual harassment is a mirror reflecting the power of male over women that sustain patriarchal relations.

In a society where violence against women, both indirect and direct, is borne out of the patriarchal values, women are forced to conform to traditional gender roles. These patriarchal values and attitudes of both women and men pose the greatest challenge in resolution and prevention from sexual harassment. Workplace sexual harassment, like other forms of violence, is not harmless. It involves serious health, human, economic and social costs, which manifests themselves in the overall development indexes of a nation.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010 in Pakistan was enacted to ensure safe working spaces for women and to construct safer work environments for them.  The sense of security at the workplace will improve women’s participation in work resulting in their economic empowerment and inclusive growth. The Punjab government recently established a “women’s harassment protection cell” to protect the women of Punjab from all types of harassment.

These are the important steps to be taken to eradicate workplace harassment:

1. Develop and communicate a harassment policy endorsed by top management to all the staff members.

2. Use a fair complaint procedure to investigate charges of sexual harassment.

3. Take corrective actions against the harasser as soon as possible.

4. Provide sexual harassment education and training to organizational members, including the managers.

5. The organization must take some strong steps against the harasser and provide the security to the victim.

I hope working on these steps will help to reduce harassment at workplace.

http://blogs.dunyanews.tv/21526/

Uganda promoting vasectomies in bid to tackle poverty

2017-11-08

The Ugandan government has started recruiting “champion men” to promote vasectomies as a method of family planning as high fertility rates continue to plague the African nation.

“Many people think that when a man goes for a vasectomy he is not going to continue being a normal man,” said Martin Owor, a father of six. “But there is no problem. My wife is very happy.”

Owor said his wife initially objected to him having the procedure, but after a long conversation, he decided to go ahead, hoping it will help his children avoid living in poverty.

“My father had 12 children, so we never had a chance of having a quality education,” he said. “I needed a number that I would try to manage.”

The so-called “champion men” speak out publicly as the government tries to increase men’s participation in family planning to decrease birth rates.

“We can’t coerce them, because family planning is voluntary and is supposed to be based on human rights, and we want to keep on engaging them,” said Placid Mihayo, an assistant government commissioner in charge of sexual and reproductive health.

Uganda has long tried to tackle its booming population, with development experts suggesting the high fertility rate is an obstacle in combating poverty.

The population reportedly skyrocketed from 17 million in 1990 to more than 41 million in 2016. The United Nations figures put Uganda as the world’s top 10 fastest-growing population. The country remains one of the poorest in the world, with only $615 per capita income per year, with even lower incomes recorded in rural areas.

“If you produce 100 children and create only two jobs in that period, so where are the other 98 going to get jobs?” said Sam Mwandara, project coordinator for Reproductive Health Uganda, a U.N.-associated group. “The population is expanding so fast in relation to land, jobs, education and health. So it’s alarming.”

The increasing demographics are facilitated by the fact that only 35 percent of married women use modern methods of contraception. Abortion remains illegal in Uganda, with the only exception being to save the woman’s life.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Africa’s e-health start-ups rise, but not all are mobile-first based

2017-11-02

Senior UN Official Says Health Care is a Human Right

2017-10-26

Health care is a human right, senior UN official says; urges protection for medical workers

24 October 2017 – Health is a human right and health care workers are human rights defenders, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights has said, reminding Governments to provide healthcare for their citizens and to protect professionals who deliver these services.

“We see health not only as the absence of disease and not only a question of access to services, but in face the right to be human is a manner that you have your physical and mental integrity upheld,” Kate Gilmore said in an interview with UN News.

Similarly, health care workers are part of the “machinery of human rights defence,” yet are increasingly being targeted for doing their jobs.

“In conflict settings, there has been a marked spike in the targeting of hospitals, of doctors, of ambulances and of nurses. And this is not only quite unconscionable,” the Deputy High Commissioner said, noting these attacks are also against international humanitarian law and the basic rules of war to which each Government has signed up by virtue of being a member of the United Nations.

“But in other settings, too,” she continued. “In non-conflict settings, health workers who work with communities that are subjected to terrible bigotry, those working with those suffering leprosy, historically health workers providing services to those living with HIV and AIDS, workers whose priority is sexual and reproductive health.”

Ms. Gilmore noted “a pattern across the globe of health workers being targeted for providing compassionate, humane care rooted in medical science.”

She denounced such attacks calling them “wrong, unfair and unjust.”

Ms. Gilmore, along with Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour, will participate at a dialogue today at the UN Headquarters in New York on how human rights, including the right to health, are reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

How To Respond If Your Partner Has Been Sexually Assaulted Or Harassed

2017-10-18

News of widespread sexual assault and harassment allegations against film executive Harvey Weinstein has prompted more and more victims to come forward by the day.

Actress and director Asia Argento, one of more than 20 women who have spoken out about their experiences, has had a fierce defender in her camp: Boyfriend Anthony Bourdain.

“I am proud and honored to know you,” the celebrity chef tweeted on Tuesday, alongside a link to The New Yorker exposé Argento was interviewed for. “You just did the hardest thing in the world.”

Bourdain’s support of Argento highlights an important, but rarely discussed side of sexual assault and harassment: How spouses and partners of victims respond and support their significant others.

While there’s no “right” way to respond, there are things you can do that are helpful rather than hindering. Below, therapists and experts in sexual abuse share seven tips.

Many abuse survivors doubt the severity of what happened to them or feel like they’re somehow to blame because of what their abuser told them or made them feel in the aftermath of the incident.

As their partner, your job is to listen, be in their corner and remind them that you believe them, 100 percent, said Virginia Gilbert, a marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles, California.

“Survivors’ self-doubt and shame grows exponentially if their family or culture colludes with abusers ― if everyone around the survivor normalizes and enables abuse,” she said. “The first step in helping your partner heal is to validate their experience by calling out abuse.”

That means talking about what happened in matter-of-fact terms, Gilbert said: “You were raped;” “People knew what was happening to you and didn’t stop it;” “You were in a vulnerable position and were afraid of the consequences if you spoke up.”

That kind of directness can help clear up any self-doubt your partner may be experiencing in the wake of the abuse.

The revelation will very likely leave you feeling shaken up. While it’s natural to feel protective and react with anger, remind yourself to stay calm. The last thing your partner needs is to feel like they need to support you emotionally now instead, said Martha Lee, a Singapore-based clinical sexologist and relationship coach.

“It’s very important that they feel heard and that there’s space for them to articulate what happened and how they feel,” she told HuffPost. “You don’t want your reaction to make it about you because that can short-circuit their processing and healing process. Just listen. Sometimes, just telling yourself, ‘this is not about me’ can help.”

Don’t try to downplay what happened or worse, suggest your partner could have done something differently to avoid the situation, said Laura Palumbo, the communications director at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“You may think you’re trying to help by saying, ‘I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that,’ but instead, it just makes them question their perceptions or feel silly for sharing. It’s better to say supportive things like, ’I believe you’ or ‘You did nothing wrong and I am here for you.’”

Sexual assault and harassment disempowers victims and emboldens abusers. That’s why it’s so important to remind your partner that they’re not powerless, said Sandra Henriquez, the CEO of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

“If a physical assault occurred within the last 72 hours, contact a local sexual assault agency for guidance and advocacy in dealing with hospitals and law enforcement,” she said. “Remind your S.O. that there are avenues for redress that are available when they feel ready and able to explore those options.”

And regardless of when the assault happened, free and confidential counseling is always available through local rape crisis centers. For a full list of crisis centers and hotlines for sexual assault survivors, head here.

Accusing someone ― especially a higher-up at work ― of sexual abuse is not easy. Recognize the difficulty your partner may feel in bringing charges or coming forward, said Janet Brito, a psychologist and sex therapist at the Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Honolulu, Hawaii

“There could be apprehension since it’s not uncommon for others to deny the victim’s experiences or minimize it,” she said. “Ask your S.O. what you can do to make them feel supported and respect the choices they make along the way. The goal is to limit your opinions about what you think is best for them and not pressure them.”

Your support likely means the world to your partner. That said, don’t be afraid to say something if you feel overwhelmed by the situation, said Kurt Smith, a therapist who works with men and women at Guy Stuff Counseling & Coaching.

“Because of how traumatizing it can be to hear these details, sometimes, it’s best to limit how much you try to help and leave it to trained mental health specialists who have worked with sexual abuse survivors,” he told HuffPost.

You can be supportive by listening to your partner and encouraging them to speak with a professional in a non-pressuring way.

“It’s ultimately their call but encourage them to find a therapist to speak with to get the help and support they need,” Smith said. “The common response is to bury the memories and pain and move on with life. But that’s a mistake because oftentimes, the trauma doesn’t go away and negatively impacts survivors in ways they don’t fully recognize until they address it with a professional.”

Recognize that moving on and recovering is a slow, painstaking process and that your romantic relationship may not be the same for a long time, Palumbo said.

“Reclaiming sexuality after sexual assault may take support, treatment and time,” she said. “Let your partner express their needs, wants and boundaries. If you aren’t sure whether they’re comfortable or ready for something, ask. Ultimately, everyone heals in their own time and their own way – and for most survivors the path isn’t a straight line.

Reproductive health: Rights in an age of inequality

Expanding options for the poorest women by empowering them to enjoy their right to make their own decisions about the timing and spacing of pregnancies is one important pathway towards their economic security and independence.

Our world is increasingly unequal. But this inequality is not only about money. It’s also about power, rights and opportunities. And it has many dimensions that feed on each other. One dimension of inequality that has received too little attention is in the enjoyment or denial of reproductive rights and the effects of that on half of humanity.

This is the focus of the UNFPA flagship report, The State of World Population 2017. Consider this: In most developing countries, the poorest women have the least power to decide whether, when or how often to become pregnant. The poorest women also have the least access to quality care during pregnancy and childbirth.

This inequity has lasting repercussions for women’s health, work life and earnings potential and for their contribution to their nations’ development and elimination of poverty.

As a medical doctor myself and as a former Representative of UNFPA in Tanzania, I have seen first hand the devastating and needless suffering caused by fistula, and heard the most heartbreaking stories.

More than two million women still have this condition and cannot afford or cannot reach treatment.

Contraception, too, is often out of reach for the poor, particularly those who are less educated and living in rural areas. And this puts women and adolescent girls at greater risk of unintended pregnancy.

An unintended pregnancy can set in motion a lifetime of missed opportunities and unrealized potential, trapping a woman and her children in an endless cycle of poverty. The economic slide can continue for generations.

We also know that many emergencies and humanitarian crises are fueled by inequalities. And inequalities and the vulnerabilities engendered by them are magnified in times of crisis.

A woman or adolescent girl who cannot enjoy her reproductive rights is one who cannot stay healthy, cannot complete her education, cannot find decent work outside the home and cannot chart her own economic future.

Inequality in reproductive health and rights disenfranchises untold millions of women. It also bolsters social and economic systems that enable a privileged few to rise to the top and stay there, while dragging the vast majority to the bottom, robbing individuals of their rights and denying whole nations the foundations for development.

Countries seeking to tackle economic inequality should start by addressing related and underlying inequalities, such as in reproductive health.

Reproductive health and rights are critical but under-appreciated variables in the solution to economic inequality and can propel countries towards achieving the top United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: eliminating poverty.

Expanding options and choices for the poorest women by empowering them to enjoy their right to make their own decisions about the timing and spacing of pregnancies is one important pathway towards their economic security and independence. It is also a pathway towards more balanced economies and societies. And if poor women are disadvantaged, poor adolescents, especially girls, are even more so. Investments in adolescent girls are critical.

A recent study in The Lancet showed that improving the physical, mental and sexual health of adolescents, at a cost of about $4.60 per person per year, would yield more than 10 times as much in benefits to society. Moreover, the highest returns would be in the lowest income countries that are suffering the greatest burden of adolescent death. Innovation and creative solutions are needed to reach the furthest behind first. As Helen Keller once stated: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Stopping the present downward spiral of inequality will require a new vision for inclusive societies, where all human potential is realized.

This is the vision that informed the goals of the UNFPA Strategic Plan, 2018-2021, which is the first of three Plans to get us to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 target. Working with other United Nations agencies, partners and governments, UNFPA is committed to a future where zero is the only acceptable number: zero maternal deaths, zero unintended pregnancies and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriage.

We, therefore, call today for action on multiple fronts to tackle all forms of inequality of sexual reproductive health and rights from the root, laying the foundation for an alternative–equitable–future. A future where all women govern their own lives with equal access to sexual and reproductive health care, where they are free from unintended pregnancies.

A future where all women, men, girls and boys may understand and enjoy their rights and have the knowledge and the power to set their own course in life.

So, to close, inequality is indeed about power–about the few who have it and the many who do not. Worlds Apart–the 2017 UNFPA State of World Population report–is a clarion call for putting power in the hands of women to control their reproductive choices and their futures. With that power in women’s hands, Worlds Apart no longer holds. With that power, instead of separation and inequality, fairness prevails–and a more equitable world for women and girls is the reward.

Dr. Kanem is the Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Barriers to sexual health among male teens and young men

2017-01-12

Date:January 9, 2017Source:Johns Hopkins MedicineSummary:Researchers who conducted a dozen focus groups with 70 straight and gay/bisexual Hispanic and African-American males ages 15 to 24 report that gaining a better understanding of the context in which young men grow up will allow health care providers to improve this population’s use of sexual and reproductive health care.

Johns Hopkins researchers who conducted a dozen focus groups with 70 straight and gay/bisexual Hispanic and African-American males ages 15 to 24 report that gaining a better understanding of the context in which young men grow up will allow health care providers to improve this population’s use of sexual and reproductive health care.

Men, Depression and Sex

2016-08-31

It is an incredibly complex condition which brings with it a whole slew of emotional, mental and physical symptoms with it. For men and women both, part of the problem can revolve around their sexuality – and this in turn can cause problems in a relationship at the time when the depressed person most needs the support.  Fortunately, there are ways to help treat this particular problem and restore intimacy and pleasure to a relationship.

Depression and Male Sexuality

It is common for both men and women to experience sexual problems as part of their depression – but the ways in which this presents itself can be different.  Healthline notes that in men, depression will often express itself as feelings of low-esteem, anxiety and guilt and this, in turn, can cause problems with erectile dysfunction, delayed orgasm, premature ejaculation or just a loss of interest in sex itself.

There is still a lot we just don’t know about exactly how depression affects the brain. But according to Net Doctor, researchers have learned that the chemical changes which take place when someone has this condition can lead to an increase in emotional withdrawal and low energy levels so that activities like sex, which require a connection to your partner as well as physical energy to perform, can become a challenge.  This can be hurtful for the person’s partner and make them feel unwanted or unloved, putting a strain on the relationship that can, in itself, be difficult to deal with.

To make matters worse, many antidepressants are notorious for their side effect of causing sexual dysfunction or loss of interest.  Included in this group are MAOI inhibitors, SSRI’s and SSNRI’s and both tetracyclic and tricyclic antidepressants. 

What to Do

So the long and short of it is, both depression itself and some of the treatments for depression can both put a damper on a guy’s sex life. So what are some solutions to the problem?

Get the Treatment You Need

Depression is not a choice that people make – and it is usually not a problem that goes away by itself. If you have not yet been diagnosed, talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are having and get started on a plan of care that involves the combination of medications, therapy and lifestyle changes that are right for you.

If you are already being treated for depression and suspect that your anti-depressants might be putting the kybosh on your sex life, find out if you can switch medications. While it might take a little time to take effect, there are some drugs which do not seem to effect one’s libido, including Wellbutrin and Remeron.

Exercise

Both Healthline and Everyday Health recommend regular exercise – preferably with your partner – as part of a program to help reconnect sexually. First, it gives you and your partner time together doing something enjoyable and this alone can be good for a relationship. It also helps to release feel-good chemicals like endorphins that help fight depression naturally and keeps you in good shape so that you feel good about yourself and the way you look. All this can go a long way to enhancing your sex life.

Take Your Time

According to Everyday Health, sex therapist Dr. Sandra Caron also has a few tips for couples who are struggling to overcome the barrier that depression has placed on their sex lives.  She recommends, first of all, that couples engage in more foreplay and other physical expressions of intimacy – hand holding, caressing, massage – before engaging in intercourse itself.  Depression tends to slow down all responses, so taking this extra time to achieve arousal can help enhance the pleasure for both partners.  She also recommends the use, if needed, of estrogen creams or lubricants and even erotica (like lingerie or sexy movies) to help spark the mood.

Open Up

Probably the most important advice for men who are trying to reconnect with their partner sexually is to open up and communicate with your partner. This can be more difficult for men to do in general, but is even more of a challenge when it comes to talking about intimate issues like sexuality, desire and arousal. But being honest about how you are feeling and letting your partner know that it is the depression that is a problem and not a loss of interest or a loss of love can be an incredibly powerful way to overcome this challenges and get support from your loved one at a time when you need it the most.  Also, partners can be more understanding and supportive if they understand more about what is going on – otherwise, it is easy to interpret a low mood or lack of responsiveness as being hostile or unloving.

In short, depression is a difficult condition with a whole slew of symptoms that go far beyond just feelings of sadness or being blue.  And when depression begins to affect a person’s sexuality, this in turn can lead to a strain on intimate partner relationships.  However, while there are no quick solutions to this problem, getting on a treatment program that is tailored to someone’s individual needs as well as exercising regularly, spending time with a partner to engage in more foreplay and simply opening up and talking about the problem can all help to reignite the sexual spark in a relationship – and hopefully make the battle against depression that much easier.

About Dr. Brian W. Wu