Increasing number of men reporting sexual harassment just tip of iceberg, says lawyers’ group

PETALING JAYA: More men must come forward and share instances of sexual harassment as the number of reports lodged are just the tip of the iceberg, says a lawyers’ group.

The Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) said that with increased awareness and support, more people are likely to speak out.

“The fact that victims are willing to speak out and take the important step of lodging police reports or reports with employers is crucial.

“To do so takes tremendous courage regardless of the gender of the person reporting sexual harassment,” said the group in a statement by exco members Meera Samanther, Daniella Zulkifli, Sheena Gurbakhash and Santhi Latha.

On Oct 5, Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that more men had come forward and lodged reports on sexual harassment.

Citing the 762 cases reported from July 6 to Oct 2, she said that men made 187 reports while the rest came from women.

She said Kelantan recorded the highest number of reports from men (52 cases) during that period.

Meanwhile, the AWL said the increase in reports by men also showed that sexual harassment is not a female issue.

It said it is a form of bullying, intimidation and disrespecting boundaries, with anyone capable of being a victim.

In the past, many people suffered in silence, mainly because there was limited awareness about their rights along with fear of repercussions to their careers, livelihoods and family, said the AWL.

“For too long, victims of harassment are told ‘it’s only a joke’ or they ‘should toughen up’, and in many instances, the survivors themselves have become the target of the media and the authorities with emphasis being on how they ‘brought in onto themselves’.

“Fortunately, we have progressed, and now have laws in place that send a clear message that sexual harassment cannot and should not be tolerated.

“This may have empowered long silent survivors to understand that the matter will no longer be swept under the carpet,” said the AWL.

The group said these increased numbers not only signify awareness by both men and women that they do not have to tolerate such behaviour.

It also highlighted that these individuals were looking for recourse and support on this traumatic journey.

The awareness programmes organised by the government and civil society groups such as AWL, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and All Women’s Action Society (Awam) have certainly brought the issue to the forefront, said the group.

“We nonetheless recognise that it is still, disproportionately, women who are affected.

“But we do not discount that men are and have been victims and have had to live with the trauma and the added stigmatisation associated with the fact that they are male and could have ‘done something to prevent what happened’, or references may be made to their sexual orientation.

“It is heartening to hear that men too are standing up for themselves on this difficult issue,” said the group.

This is because sexual harassment is predominantly seen as a women’s issue, and when men raise this, they are perceived as weak, thus many men shy away and suffer in silence, said the AWL.

“We believe this may be just the tip of the iceberg and what is important is to know that survivors, regardless of gender, are watching to see what happens such as how the other victims are treated in court, how the police, employers and the media treat them.

“If, on a balance of probabilities, it is clear that the victim will not be victimised further, or face negative repercussions, given time, we believe more people, regardless of gender, will speak out,” the group added.

They also said that the main barrier stopping men who face sexual harassment from lodging a report is fear.

“The cultural norm is that men are strong, men don’t cry, men can fight for themselves but the point that is being missed is that anyone can be a victim,” said the AWL.

It added that the focus should shift to the perpetrator instead of the survivor.

Besides urging men to share their experiences, the AWL said this must be accompanied with a focus on providing men with access to resources that can help them as well.

For example, the media can play a pivotal role with reference to the types of headlines and reporting that is done when people, especially men, come forward with stories of sexual harassment, said the AWL.

The government too has a fundamental role to play with all ministries urged to take the responsibility and not just the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, said the group.

“While the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and its officers have been a tremendous resource, showing dedication and commitment to dealing with this issue in a proactive way, again we reiterate that it is not a women’s issue alone as statistics have shown,” it added.