Study: Sexual harassment high in real estate sector

Over 90 per cent of women in Kenya’s real estate industry have experienced some form of sexual harassment while another 82 per cent have witnessed it, a new report shows.

The preliminary report was based on the findings of the ‘Women in Real Estate Survey on Sexual Harassment’ that began on June 23.

So far, 60 people have taken part in the survey by Women in Real Estate Estate (Wire), an organisation focused on advancing the achievements of women in the built industry. The study targeted Wire’s members as well as other women in the industry.

The report stated that although more women are gaining courage to speak up about their  experiences, many cases still go unreported.

It also found that sexual harassment is more pronounced in the workplace, with 60.8 per cent of the respondents saying they had experienced it. This was closely followed by harassment at learning institutions at 41. 2 per cent and  harassment at construction sites at 39.2 per cent.

PERPETRATORS

According to the report, the most common form of sexual harassment against women in real estate is verbal harassment, at 90 per cent, followed by physical harassment at 64 per cent. Other forms of harassment included non-verbal cues.

A shocking observation was that a majority of the women who said they had been sexually harassed said the offence was committed by someone close to them. Over 64 per cent of the respondents said they have been sexually harassed by a colleague or a fellow student.

“From the survey, 64.7 per cent of the respondents have been sexually harassed by a colleague or a fellow student.Even more worrying is the 33.3 per cent and 31.4 per cent who have suffered sexual harassment from a boss and a teacher, respectively,” the report stated.

Other perpetrators were found to be friends  (25.5 per cent) and strangers at (15.7 per cent).

ACTIONS

The survey was conducted to advocate against sexual harassment and inform policies and codes of conduct in a bid to encourage more people to speak up on issues related to sexual harassment, using all platforms including social media.

In the past four months, the coronavirus pandemic has heightened the harsh reality of gender-based violence and sexual harassment in country, with more organisations raising concerns about rising incidences of rape and teenage pregnancies.

Forty nine per cent of the respondents in the Wire study said they resisted by asking the perpetrators to stop. Some 39.2 per cent opted to tell a family member or a friend while 27.5 per cent took no action.

Only 12.9 per cent of the reported cases were acted upon while the offenders in 21.3 per cent of the cases went unpunished. This adds to the emotional and psychological trauma that victims suffer as they feel their voices do not count.

TRAUMA

Data from the report showed that 69 per cent of those impacted by sexual harassment have suffered some form of trauma, with a majority (33.3 per cent) acknowledging that they feel insecure and have diminished confidence.

About 27.3 per cent of the respondents said they had suffered increased fear while 12.3 per cent said they had developed a distrust in men. Some 9.1 per cent said they lost jobs or business in the process.

The report recommended creation of a culture of respect and zero-tolerance to sexual harassment, which could help curb cases.

Respondents further suggested public education on sexual harassment and the development of institutional policies on the matter for direction on how to deal with cases.

“Victims of sexual harassment need to be provided with safe spaces to open up, be it at home, at work or at school,” the report stated.

“Similarly, strict policies defining sexual harassment, including procedures to follow when a victim experiences any form, as well as course of action to be taken on the offender, must be created.”