There has been much reported by local media this week about an arbitration ruling in favour of a Calgary woman who was repeatedly sexually assaulted at work by a male colleague. The assaults themselves and their life-changing impact on this woman and her family are truly horrifying.
We must be equally indignant, however, at the apparent lack of workplace repercussions for the perpetrator (who has since been criminally convicted and subsequently retired, reportedly with full benefits) and for the supervisors up the chain of command who failed to act.
While many employers have admirably adopted polices and training programs to curb harassment and abuse on the job, failure to swiftly and decisively enact discipline and protection when these egregious acts occur is inexcusable.
When we know or suspect abuse is occurring in a neighbouring cubicle or the apartment upstairs, and we fail to intercede on behalf of the woman in that vulnerable position, we are complicit. We are devaluing her and saying her pain and her fear don’t rate.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and that appears to have been the case here. Apparently, the carefully articulated HR strategies and workshops could not counteract deeply ingrained beliefs of entitlement and misogyny.
As a broader culture, Calgary and Alberta still have far to go before every woman can go to her place of work, her home, her school or her local pub without fear. We still whisper about family and sexual violence. We still tell women they are “asking for it” when they wear certain clothes, smile too long or drink too much. As if violence against women was normal, natural and unavoidable.
Research related to the disclosure of violence is clear: the reaction of the first person a woman tells will shape whether she ever tells again. Women are still afraid no one will believe them. Afraid they won’t be taken seriously. Afraid they will be blamed for the abuse, bullied, harassed or stigmatized.
We applaud the bravery of the woman in this case. She told again and again and again.
She should not have had to.
As a city, we can learn from her pain and prepare our workplaces and ourselves so that, in future, one disclosure will lead to swift investigation and safety. We must all take steps to change behaviours and attitudes around family and sexual violence and end these crimes in our community.
