MORAL AND SEXUAL HARRASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE

Project facts

Project promoter:
Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment
Project Number:
PT07-0001
Target groups
Manager, leaders, teachers, trainers, administrators and technical staff from eligible institutions
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€400,000
Final project cost:
€368,761
From EEA Grants:
€ 313,447
The project is carried out in:
Portugal

Description

The workplace is a context where sexual and moral harassment situations often take place due to the existence of close social interactions, and the hierarchy ties and the economic and professional dependence that happen therein. In Portugal, the need for a study on harassment in the labour market, after almost 25 years past from the first and only national survey about sexual harassment in the labour market, held in Portugal, is quite obvious. The objective of the project is to make the diagnosis and characterization of moral and sexual harassment in the labour market in Portugal, raise awareness regarding harassment at the workplace – sexual as well as moral, and exchange experiences and best practices between Portugal and Norway on harassment at the workplace. The outcomes are: Updated diagnosis and characterization of the Portuguese situation; survey 2014 and report on the results; recommendation lines for public policies. To exchange experiences and promote mutual learning between Portugal and Norway on harassment at the workplace will be organized bilateral conferences and study tours with the donor partner: 'KS' - Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities.

Summary of project results

The project Sexual and Moral Harassment in the Workplace was promoted by the CITE - Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment - in a partnership with six Portuguese entities and one partner of the donor country on Norway. The project was started in January 2014 and completed at the end of April 2016. Although the implementation of the project had some delays from what was originally planned, mainly due to the length of some procurement procedures, all the project activities were finished and the outcomes were attained. The diversity of the project partnership, which includes entities that are key players in the area of work and with relevant action on industrial and working conditions, as well as the inclusion of a research centre with experience, accumulated knowledge and specific skills in research on gender equality issues, as well as the close relationship established with the social partners are factors that have contributed substantially to the project results and success. The cooperation with the Norwegian partner, made through study visists, meetings and exchanges of information, has become more intense and solid over the course of the project, which was reflected in extra bilateral activities. An extra meeting was held in Oslo on April 2016 allowing a reflection on the project's results and challenges, as well as discusses on a possible future cooperation in the next EEA Grants period. One of the major positive effects of the project was the production of knowledge on the subject of harassment at the workplace. The project made available updated data and sociological analysis about the harassment phenomenon in Portugal and a 42 hours training programme and training materials for moral and sexual harassment prevention were developed. This updated information is crucial to inform the different stakeholders within the labour working conditions and to the development of public policies in this matter. The most important output of the project was the survey on sexual and moral harassment in the workplace that covered 1801 individuals in a representative sample of the working population of mainland Portugal. It included a comparative analysis with the data of the last survey on sexual harassment published on 1994. A book, a policy brief (in Portuguese and in English) and training materials were produced. An online complain form (confidential) was developed. With this project the awareness about harassment at the workplace has increased, for example, the seminar and the final conference reached a large audience of over 220 attendees.

Summary of bilateral results

The theme of the project - harassment at the workplace- is very relevant for Portugal and Norway and became increasingly important due to the financial crisis, which has had a strong impact on the labour market. The exchange of information during the project revealed that there are large differences between Portugal and Norway in fields such as legislation, economic situation, social dialogue and gender equality. Nevertheless, it was found similarities in what concern harassment, such as under reporting and an absence of a concerted strategy to combat the phenomenon. The open mindset for exchanging information and the willingness to engage others in this process contributed to acknowledge these facts and also to the strengthening of cooperation between the Portuguese and the Norwegian partners throughout the project's life. The strengthening of the cooperation enabled a strong participation of Norwegian stakeholders on the projects' public events and some extra bilateral activities. three extra meetings were held, two in Lisbon, in 2015, and one in Oslo, in 2016, with the participation of relevant stakeholders for the project, allowing a wide discussion on harassment's data and measures as well as policies to combat the problem. The extra meeting held in Oslo allowed a reflection on the projects' results and challenges, as well as discusses on a possible future cooperation in the next EEA Grants period.