Gender sensitivity takes education, practice

You are told you look “sexy” at a job interview. Someone at your work place leaves porn on his computer. Your superior says your skirt is too short. At a social drinking event, someone makes a sexual joke and everyone laughs but you.

Have you just been sexually harassed?

Yes, you have, if you felt humiliation, cruelty or indignity, regardless of the initial intention of the offender. 

But in reality, it’s all in limbo. Whether you feel victimized or not, the person in authority can use their position to help them get away with it, especially in a work place where power hierarchy is clearly visible. They might say: calling you sexy is simply a compliment; having porn on their computer is not your business but theirs. They comment on the way you dress because they care. The sexual jokes weren’t directed towards you.

To fight back, you need to be sensitive. Gender-sensitive, to be more precise.



Training



On a Monday afternoon at the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education in Seoul, about 30 people gathered in a classroom to learn how to be “gender-sensitive” and how to define sexual harassment. Most of them were officials from corporations and educational institutions -- the law requires at least one person from every sector of private and public organizations’ office to take gender sensitivity training session at the institute -- assigned to take the class to become counselors at their work. Together, they performed a case study. Is being called sexy being harassed? Men and women are both confused.