PARIS: Half of all women scientists across the world have been the victim of sexual harassment at the workplace at some point during their career, finds a survey published on Thursday.
The survey concluded on the basis of replies by more than 5,000 researchers across 117 countries. It revealed that almost half of women scientists reported that they had “personally experienced at least one situation” of harassment at workplace during their career. Nearly 50 percent of such cases took place after the MeToo movement emerged in 2017, according to the survey conducted by the Ipsos polling firm on behalf of the L’Oreal Foundation.
The survey revealed that for 65 percent of the women, the harassment at their workplace had a negative impact on their careers. It further said that just 20 percent of the victims reported the harassment to their institutions.
The respondents to the questionnaire worked in different fields including engineering, science, mathematics, and technology. They worked at more than fifty public and private institutions across the world.
Around 25 percent of the respondents said they had been in a situation where someone was “inappropriately and repeatedly referring to me as a girl… doll, babe or chick,” or otherwise insulting them.
Around 24 percent revealed in the survey that they had been asked “intrusive and repeated questions about my private or sex life that make me feel uncomfortable”. Most of the harassment took place at the start of the victims’ careers, according to the survey.
Around 50 percent said they had avoided certain members of staff at their organizations, while 20 percent said they had felt unsafe at their workplace. Around 65 percent of the respondents said enough was not being done to check sexual harassment and sexism at the workplace.
“This survey confirms that science has not been through enough of a revolution since the MeToo movement,” Alexandra Palt of the L’Oreal Foundation told AFP.
L’Oreal Foundation supports women scientists
The foundation, which works with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to support women scientists, called on research and academic institutions to adopt zero-tolerance policies regarding harassment and make budgetary commitments to address the issue. According to Palt there needs to be an effective and transparent internal reporting system.
One-third of the scientific researchers across the globe are women, and just four percent of the science Nobel Prize winners have been female, according to the foundation. “If we want to fully harness the potential of women in research, they must feel safe,” Palt added.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos using the consultation method from 26 July to 12 September in 2022.
