One in 3 workers have received sexual harassment in the workplace (31.4%), 3 in 4 victims are women (75.3%) and only 1.6% of the victims reported the incident to the competent authorities.

The disappointing figures were presented in the first official study on the phenomenon of sexual harassment and violence at work carried out jointly by the GSEE and the Federal Secretariat for Equality in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

As GSEE points out: “The figures are revealing and reveal the extent of the problem, but also the fact that these phenomena are unfortunately not reported to the competent authorities.

From all the stages of the investigation, there also emerged a widespread need and anxiety for victims to have access to effective protection mechanisms throughout the territory.

According to the report:

  • 1 in 3 workers have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace (31.4%).
  • 3 out of 4 victims are female workers (75.3%).
  • Only 1.6% of the victims reported the incident to the competent authorities.
  • Victims do not inform the competent authorities either because they do not trust them (27.2%) or because they believe that nothing substantial will be done (51.1%).
  • Only 3.1% have a collective labor agreement with provisions covering sexual harassment.
  • 78.9% said that unions should insist on the inclusion of appropriate provisions in the Labor Regulations on sexual harassment and violence
  • Institutional social dialogue structures with the participation of trade unions both on gender equality, discrimination, violence and harassment at work and on the situation in the field and controls by the labor inspectorate have stopped functioning.