Women’s Forum – Quiet Conversations is a community conversation on topics rarely discussed openly. On November 15, attendees will hear from a panel of community and business leaders on a variety of important issues, including: gender discrimination, assault and abuse, sexual harassment, race relations, women and depression, unhealthy relationships and diversity and inclusion. We sat down with panelist Amanda Kiefer, FHLBank Topeka, to discuss her specific topic, sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment has become an ever-growing discussion point at present. Historically, it has gone overlooked in the workplace, and in many offices today harassment still goes unreported. This kind of misconduct is not only unwarranted and demeaning, it impedes upon women’s ability to function in the workplace. Amanda herself is adamant that “Sexual harassment limits women from living up to their full potential.”
According to Amanda, with reporting the misconduct comes “the fear of retaliation, jeopardizing the environment you’re used to.” Additionally, responses to sexual harassment claims often carry with them a sense of victim blaming.
To eliminate victim blaming, she affirms that corporate environments should assure that adequate training takes place on how to respond to sexual harassment and assault claims. Amanda also believes reporting will increase when multiple means of reporting are available; e.g., filing a report through anonymous incident reporting software instead of (or in addition to) speaking to a superior or the Human Resources Department. This way, victims and witnesses can make a case without the fear of ridicule or retribution.
Be sure to share this event on Facebook, and stay tuned for more Quiet Conversation topics to be shared in the following days.