Workplace sexual harassment in the Maldives: the struggle for justice
A social media campaign is aiming to reverse the culture of protecting perpetrators at work and blaming the victims, much like #Nufoshey (Don’t Harass) is a platform for highlighting the menace of street sex pests.
06 Nov 2017, 9:00 AM
Journalist Hawwa Rasheed* was in a near-deserted newsroom compiling headlines for an upcoming bulletin when two rough hands grappled her from behind and grabbed at her breasts.
“I was completely numb. Those few minutes felt like years,” Hawwa said while fiddling with her headscarf, trying to cover her chest.
She slapped away the invasive hands and spun round to confront her attacker. “It turned out to be my boss. I knew I would face the possibility of losing my job if I complained,” Hawwa said nearly three years after she was forced to leave her job.
Maldivian women who have encountered workplace sexual harassment face a dilemma: either be silent and endure the intimidation or raise their voice and risk unemployment and shame.
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