One in three young women still unable to report sexual harassment at work despite #MeToo
A third of young women still don’t know how to report sexual harassment at work, a report has found.
The survey of more than 4,000 young adults also found that almost one in five young women (18 per cent) are too afraid to report sexual harassment for fear of losing their job, or having their hours reduced.
According to the report from the Young Women’s Trust, 15 percent of young female employees surveyed said they have been harassed at work but did not report it.
It comes less than a year after the birth of #MeToo, which was sparked by sexual assault allegations made against Hollywood director Harvey Weinstein. But this latest poll, carried out Populus Data Solutions, will raise fears that the movement has done little to help ordinary women facing harassment in the workplace.
The Young Women's Trust survey also found that almost one in five women said they were paid less than their male colleagues for the same job, rising to one in four of those aged 25 to 30 - this is illegal according to UK law. While nearly a third of women (31 percent) said they have experienced discrimination while working or while looking for a job, and 34 percent of young mothers said they have experienced maternity discrimination.
The report, called 'It’s (still) a rich man’s world', has been timed to come out 100 years after women were given the vote in Britain. It comes as the Telegraph's Women Mean Business campaign is working to highlight the funding gap faced by female entrepreneurs in Britain, and calling for the workplace to modernise and retain its female workforce.
Dr Carole Easton, chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust, said the report showed “it’s still a rich man’s world”.
“Young women continue to lack workplace power and spending power,” she said.
“If 2018 is to be a turning point for women’s equality and not just a footnote in history, then it’s clear that we need deeds, not just words.
“We need to be impatient for change: a lot has been achieved in the last 100 years but there’s still a long way to go.”
The report also raised fears of a “growing mental health crisis” among young people.
More than half of the women surveyed (52 percent) said their work has had a negative impact on their mental health, versus 42 percent of men.
Dr Easton continued: “A concerted effort is needed from government and employers to provide young people with security and hope for the future, redress gender equality at work and help manage the growing mental health crisis among young people.”
Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: “We need to end the misogyny and harassment [young women] experience and give them fair pay at work by ending pay and maternity discrimination.”
