Sexual Harassment against women within UK Parliament

Sexual Harassment against women within UK Parliament.

Where you can’t walk down the street without being harassed, intimidated or threatened. Where what you wear somehow dictates how people can treat you. Where you are subject to inappropriate and unwanted touching and comments by co-workers and management. Where saying no somehow means yes..

100 TOD. How to stop the sexual harassment of women in science: reboot the system.

Sexual Harassment. Sexual Harassment is unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and is considered any act that: Violates a person’s dignity Creates a hostile, degrading, intimidating, humiliating or offensive environment.

Sexual harassment in the workplace. As of July 2021, Government legislation holds employers liable if they are; Unable to create and maintain a safe working environment Unable to provide staff with current training on the prevention of sexual harassment Unable to show fully implemented anti-harassment policies.

The Westminster sexual harassment scandal.

After the # MeToo movement started with the case of Harvey Weinstein in 2017, women across the world began to speak out about their experience with being sexually harassed and abused… This then highlighted the serious incidents that had been happening throughout Westminster and UK politics for many years….

VIDEO: Michael Fabricant says it's unfair to accuse MPs of sexual assault if 'everyone was sloshed' Tory MP Michael Fabricant has said the public must be wary of blaming individuals of sexual assault if "at the.

The list goes on…. An MP complained to a parliament officer about multiple young staffers being made to feel uncomfortable by the male MPs in the sports and social club bar….

A worker employed by an MP reported sexual assault to the authorities on 4 separate occasions… Nothing was done about it. She confided in a female MP and said that “distrust is endemic”.

What has been done to protect women within our government?.

The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme was created to offer the appropriate outlet for victims to report to. As of 2021, MPs suspended for sexual harassment and bullying can face a recall petition.

However is that actually the case when MP Rob Roberts who has been suspended for 6 months for sexually harassing his staff has not had to face a recall. Furthermore, his colleagues still mention him fondly to eachother as seen in the Hansard records….

Andrew Griffiths sent thousands of explicit texts to two of his young female staffers… Charlie Elphicke was accused of rape by one of his female staffers….

What has changed for women in politics?. How can the women within UK government feel safe when the leading parties prioritise the votes of sexual predators over the safety of the women who work for them. The people making the laws on preventing sexual harassment and abuse are the ones violating them..

References. Slide 3 @ UNWomenUK , “Sexual harassment in public spaces”, Twitter, published: 11 March 2021, https://twitter.com/unwomenuk/status/1370115765056192518 Trade Union Congress, “Sexual harassment in the workplace statistics”, https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns/sexual-harassment-has-no-place-workplace-thisisnotworking Trade Union Congress, “Sexual harassment in the workplace quote”, https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns/sexual-harassment-has-no-place-workplace-thisisnotworking YouGov , “The scale of sexual harassment”, 2016, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45942447 Scientific American, “Women face retaliation for reporting sexual harassment”, August 1 2019, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/women-still-face-retaliation-for-reporting-sexual-harassment-at-work/ Motherwell Chesire , “Women and sexual harassment, Me Too”, September 6 2020, https://motherwellcheshirecio.com/2020/09/06/sexual-harassment-women/ Wired, “Female founders face sexual harassment by investors”, October 15 2018, https://www.wired.com/story/female-founders-still-face-sexual-harassment-from-investors/ People Matters Global, “Sexual harassment in the workplace continues”, April 06 2021, https://www.peoplemattersglobal.com/blog/life-at-work/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-continues-to-be-under-reported-heres-why-women-remain-silent-28937 The Conversation, “How to stop sexual harassment”, January 28 2016, https://theconversation.com/how-to-stop-the-sexual-harassment-of-women-in-science-reboot-the-system-53210.

Slide 3 Nishat (2021). Research finds that 97% of women in the UK have been sexually harassed . [online] Open Access Government. Available at: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/97-of-women-in-the-uk/105940/. https://www.safeline.org.uk/author/formation (2017). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace is Found to Affect Over Half of UK Women . [online] Safeline - Believe in you - Surviving sexual abuse & rape. Available at: https://www.safeline.org.uk/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-is-found-to-affect-over-half-of-uk-women/. Slide 4 Citizensadvice.org.uk. (2019). Sexual harassment . [online] Available at: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination/sexual-harassment / . Slide 5 Skrzypinski , C. and Skrzypinski , C. (2021). UK Government Proposes to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment . [online] SHRM. Available at: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/uk-government-prevent-sexual-harassment.aspx..

Slide 8 anna-odonohue (2017). MP: It’s unfair to accuse people of assault if everyone was “sloshed.” [online] inews.co.uk. Available at: https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/video-tory-mp-says-unfair-accuse-blameless-people-assault-everyone-sloshed-100767 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ]. The Week UK. ( n.d. ). Tories to investigate MP who “invited intern to fool around.” [online] Available at: https://www.theweek.co.uk/107579/conservatives-investigate-mp-invited-intern-to-fool-around [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ]. Sky News. ( n.d. ). Westminster scandal: Anonymity for MPs accused of sexual harassment . [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/westminster-scandal-anonymity-for-mps-accused-of-sexual-harassment-11240735 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ] www.pressreader.com. ( n.d. ). PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions . [online] Available at: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20181114/282093457766545 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ] The Independent. (2018). One in five Westminster staff experienced sexual harassment, explosive report shows . [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/westminster-sexual-harassment-one-five-report-leaked-mps-lords-staff-a8199401.html [Accessed 21 Mar. 2021 ]. Rob Roberts: Conservative MP told staffer to be “less alluring.” (2021). BBC News . [online] 25 May. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-56757772 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ]. The Independent. (2017). Tory MP “admits making aide buy sex toys.” [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/stephen-crabb-mark-garnier-westminster-harassment-claims-sex-toy-text-messages-a8025351.html [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021 ]. Francis Elliott, Political Editor, B.K., Investigations Reporter | (2017). Labour “tried to cover up rape.” The Times . [online] 1 Nov. Available at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-tried-to-cover-up-rape-says-bex-bailey-jgg76qnst [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021]. Haroon Siddique (2017). Westminster sexual misconduct allegations: the MPs accused so far . [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/06/westminster-sexual-misconduct-allegations-the-mps-accused-so-far . The Week UK. ( n.d. ). Westminster sexual harassment scandal: PM vulnerable . [online] Available at: https://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/89342/westminster-sexual-harassment-scandal-36-mps-implicated [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021].

Slide 9 Daily Express, “Westminster sports and social club bar”, https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/889082/house-of-commons-sport-and-social-bar-shut-down-after-man-glassed-in-face Drink Awareness, “Sexual Harassment in clubs”, The drinks business, https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/09/new-drinkaware-campaign-to-counter-harassment The Independent. (2017). Parliament “ignored” sex assault allegation made by woman working for MP - despite her reporting it four times . [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-sexual-assault-parliament-ignore-womans-claim-westminster-mark-garnier-a8028441.html [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021]. The Independent. (2017). A shocking number of young people have witnessed sexual harassment on a night out, poll finds . [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sexual-harassment-poll-yougov-young-people-night-out-a7972991.html. Slide 10 The Independent. (2017). Parliament “ignored” sex assault allegation made by woman working for MP - despite her reporting it four times . [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-sexual-assault-parliament-ignore-womans-claim-westminster-mark-garnier-a8028441.html [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021]. Slide 12 MPs suspended for bullying or sexual harassment could face by-elections. (2021). BBC News . [online] 19 Oct. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-58968869 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021] Slide 13 localhost . ( n.d. ). Find in Hansard - Hansard - UK Parliament . [online] Available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/search?startDate=2015-01-01&endDate=2021-10-27&searchTerm=%20Rob%20roberts&partial=False#StartDate [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021]. Wikipedia (image), “ Rob Roberts MP”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Roberts_(politician).

Slide 14 Anger as accused MPs get whip restored for May vote. (2018). BBC News . [online] 13 Dec. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46544328 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2021]. The sun, “Tory MP Charlie Elphicke ”, 2018, https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6168353/tory-whip-destroyed-file-detailing-accusation-charlie-elphicke-fondled-aides-breasts-sparking-claims-of-cover-up/ Wikipedia (image), “Andrew Griffiths”, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Griffiths_(politician).