Gelsey Hughes
ED2 -- Kamonyi District, Southern Province
Sexual harassment. It’s a term we’re all familiar with. We know it’s something that shouldn’t happen, but does. We know that when it happens it’s serious,not least because it’s often a precursor to sexual assault. We know we have a right to respond toit. But what is sexual harassmentexactly? And what should we do about itwhen it happens to us?
Sexual harassment is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances,especially by someone with authority towards a subordinate.” This could meanany number of things, from personal questions of a sexual nature to directpropositioning or unwanted touching. AsPeace Corps volunteers, we’re uniquely vulnerable to sexual harassment. Westand out, we work alone, and we’re navigating a foreign culture where our ideaof “unwelcome sexual advances” might not match local standards ofinappropriateness. On top of that, we’restruggling to be culturally sensitive, to adapt and integrate. In our struggle to be flexible and tolerant,we can lose sight of our boundaries.
We at GAD want to help PCVs identify and respond to sexualharassment. But before we can starttalking about best practices, we need to hear from you, the volunteers. Have you experienced sexual harassment? What happened, and how did you respond? You can submit your stories by emailing me atgelseyh@gmail.com or by commenting onthis story. Help us support and empoweryou!
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