Rosa Doherty says women are used to having each other as allies in the fight against sexism, misogyny but they need the support of men
March 14, 2019 12:34
In 2017, six brave Jewish women told this paper about their experience of sexual harassment while working for communal organisations.
Against the backdrop of the Me Too movement and in the wake of allegations rocking Hollywood, they helped to reveal a glimpse of the problem in the Jewish community.
Of the 30 women we spoke to at the time, only six were willing to have their stories told and only one was willing to be named.
All felt they had not been supported by their employers, once they had informed them of the incidents.
And some indicated that there was a culture within their organisations which meant they felt they were unable to disclose sexual harassment due to fear of the response they would get from their line manager and colleagues.
As a result of that article, the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council asked Jewish Women’s Aid to establish measures to combat sexual harassment in the community. I’ve heard some Jews sneer and ask: “What is the point of the JC?” Well, without that article and the bravery of those women, our leaders may not have been pushed to act.
Nearly two years later, and JWA now have a year’s funding towards a three-year programme to address sexual harassment in the workplace.
The programme, which is due to launch in the summer, comes after the group ran a consultation period with Jewish organisations about their policies and approach to sexual harassment. According to JWA there has been no consistent approach to dealing with sexual harassment in communal organisations, a situation which reflects what happens in wider society.
Last week, to mark International Women’s Day, I took part in a panel put on by the JLC alongside JWA to discuss the Me Too movement and the policies and culture of our communal organisations, part of a day spent discussing communal policy. Despite it being the last session, the room was packed, but there was a notable absence.
As I sat behind the table to discuss the JC article that inspired direct action, listening to the contributions from the floor and from my co-panellist Naomi Dickson, chief executive from JWA, I could not help but notice nearly all the contributions came from women.
The male communal leaders in the room that spoke — and spoke very well — included Simon Johnson, chief executive of the JLC and Raymond Simonson chief executive of JW3. I’m naming them because I think it is important to show appreciation of their willingness to engage and improve the institutions they lead.
We need to see other leaders like them be part of the conversation. The last time I checked, our community is not run solely by women. Women are used to having each other as allies in the fight against sexism, misogyny and harassment. But it is impossible to win that fight without the active support of men.
Speaking as part of the panel, I told the audience about an incident in my own working life where I experienced harassment , not from a colleague, but from a man demanding a meeting, often inappropriately and at unsocial hours. After my repeated attempts to say no, that I was not interested, that what he had to say was not relevant to the JC or to my job, I raised concerns about him with my bosses, who were all men.
I did this instinctively, I didn’t check a hand-book, I didn’t seek advice first, I felt entirely comfortable to go to the people I work with to raise a problem.
It was dealt with straight away. I’m not sure what was said to make him go away and I don’t care, because I never heard of him again and I felt wholly supported.
Sadly, there is nothing in our laws that say my boss or employer has any responsibility to protect me from third-party harassment. I know, from talking to other women in the community, that not everyone has bosses as supportive as mine.
A report in February by equality charity, the Fawcett Society, called on the government to reinstate Section 40 of the Equality Act, which used to require employers to take “reasonable steps” to ensure staff were not made subject to third-party harassment.
They also recommended that a new legal duty on employers to prevent and tackle sexual harassment, alongside a statutory code of practice, should be introduced.
The JWA programme will initially be delivered to just five communal organisations. Senior management and leadership teams will attend workshops on how to develop policies and procedures that protect all staff — it’s not just women who suffer harassment.
Each of the organisations will draft action plans to ensure they have a safe and respectful workplace.
Five organisations is a good start, but in our community we know there are many more places of work that could and should benefit from this training.
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