Coalition of Regional Sexual Assault Centres - Saskatchewan
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of sexualized violence that is categorized as discrimination. As such, it is a human rights violation and against the law.
Sexual harassment is unwarranted sexual conduct that interferes with the rights guaranteed by The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. It can be verbal, physical or visual.
Most sexual harassment occurs in the workplace. The Code’s provisions against sexual harassment do not rule out office romance, flirtation or good-natured jesting that is accepted by both parties. Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome behaviour that the harasser knew, or should have known, would be unwanted.
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Sexual harassment can include:
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sexual jokes
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touching of non-sexual body parts
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comments with sexual overtones
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unwanted advances
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repeated advances that have been declined in the past
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leering or staring
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threats related to sex or sexuality
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comments about one's body
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displaying offensive pictures or photographs
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Quick statistics about sexual harassment:
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Nearly 1 in 2 women and roughly 3 in 10 men report experiencing harassment or sexual assault in the workplace
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Among employed people, those aged 25 - 34 report the highest rates of harassment or sexual assault in the workplace
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Three in four lesbian, gay, or bisexual women and more than 1 in 2 men in this group report experiencing harassment or sexual assault in the workplace
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Women are more likely to experience harassment and sexual assault inside and outside the workplace
What do I do if I've experienced sexual harassment?​
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The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission investigates complaints of sexual harassment and can provide remedies to complainants who are found to have experienced sexual harassment. Explore their website for more information. If you are a federally regulated employee, please contact the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
If you have experienced workplace sexual harassment in Saskatchewan, you can receive up to 4 hours of free legal advice via The Shift Project. The incident does not need to have been reported to the police. The program is available to individuals of any age or gender, regardless of income. It doesn’t matter how long ago the incident occurred.
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To learn more about sexual harassment in the workplace, or to build you skill set as an employer or employee, visit Enough Already.