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Guide: Understanding and taking action against sexist and sexual violence in the workplace

26-12-2024

 

Sexist and sexual violence in the workplace: a major issue for companies 🚨

Gender-based and sexual violence in the workplace represents a crucial challenge for modern organizations. Far from being a marginal phenomenon, this unacceptable behavior affects an alarming number of people, mainly women, in their professional environment.

 

The scale of the problem 📊

An Insee study reveals that 6% of sexual assaults occur in the workplace. Even more worrying, a survey by the French Human Rights Ombudsman indicates that 20% of working women have experienced sexual harassment in the course of their career.

 

Defining sexist and sexual violence ⚖️

Such violence encompasses a wide range of behaviours:

- Sexist conduct
- Sexist abuse
- Moral and sexual harassment
- Sexual assault
- Rape

It can take the form of inappropriate comments, unwanted gestures, sexual blackmail or the display of pornographic images in the workplace.

 

Consent at the heart of the debate 💬

The notion of consent is fundamental. Any sexual act must be freely consented to by both parties. Silence does not mean agreement, and consent can be withdrawn at any time.

 

The impact on victims 😞

The consequences for victims of violence are considerable:

- Loss of dignity
- Deterioration of physical and mental health
- Impact on working life

In 40% of the cases reported, the resolution is to the detriment of the victim, with direct consequences for his or her job.

 

The legal framework 📜

French law firmly condemns such behavior. Article L.1142-2-1 of the French Labor Code and article 6 bis of the July 13, 1983 law explicitly prohibit sexist behavior in the workplace.

 

The crucial role of companies 🏢

In the face of this scourge, organizations have a decisive role to play:

- Implement effective prevention policies
- Train managers and employees
- Create secure and confidential reporting systems
- Systematically punish reprehensible behavior

 

Towards an inclusive corporate culture 🌍

Combating sexist and sexual violence in the workplace requires a profound change in corporate culture. It's about promoting a respectful environment, where everyone feels safe and valued, regardless of gender.

Companies that resolutely embrace this approach reap numerous benefits: improved well-being in the workplace, greater team commitment and, ultimately, better overall performance.

Accordia supports organizations in this essential process, offering tailor-made solutions to prevent and combat all forms of sexist and sexual violence in the workplace. Together, let's build a fairer, safer working environment for all.

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La Boussole - SOS Homophobie

30-12-2024

 

🌈 La Boussole: Comprendre et Réagir Face aux LGBTIphobies

La Boussole, created by SOS Homophobie, is an awareness-raising tool designed to combat LGBTIphobia, i.e. manifestations of rejection, contempt or hatred towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. This guide presents situations experienced by LGBTI people, whether benevolent or discriminatory, to raise awareness and encourage action against violence.

📋 The different situations explored

  1. When you feel good
    • Talk freely about your relationships, if you wish.
    • Assert your gender identity and be correctly named.
    • Live out your relationships in the open and enjoy the same rights as everyone else.
  2. When you feel uncomfortable
    • Being mocked or isolated.
    • Hearing jokes or clichés about LGBTI people.
    • Facing hostile judgments or the minimization of experienced discrimination.
  3. When you're in danger
    • Physical or sexual abuse.
    • Be the target of harassment, rumors or outing (forced disclosure of sexual orientation or gender identity).
    • Being rejected from your home or having your rights violated.

🌟 Compass objectives

  • Raising public awareness: Informing the public about the realities experienced by LGBTI people to foster understanding and empathy.
  • Helping victims: Provide concrete examples of situations and resources for dealing with violence.
  • Encourage witnesses: Encourage allies to take action against discrimination and support those affected.

🛠️ Resources and support

  • SOS Homophobie: A helpline and chat room are available to support victims and witnesses.
  • Emergency numbers: In case of immediate danger, call 17.

La Boussole | SOS homophobie

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LGBTIphobia Report 2023 - SOS Homophobie

30-12-2024

 

🌈 Report on LGBTIphobia in France: 2023

SOS Homophobie's 2023 LGBTIphobia Report reveals a worrying reality regarding the discrimination and violence suffered by LGBTI people in France. This document is based on over 1,500 testimonials collected via the association's hotline, chat'écoute and other platforms. It analyzes the contexts and manifestations of LGBTIphobia, and suggests ways of improving inclusion.

📋 Report key data

  • 1,506 testimonials recorded, up 5% on 2022.
  • Background to the violence :
    • Online hate (17% of cases).
    • Public places (12%).
    • Family and close friends (15%).
    • Work (10%).
  • Main targets :
    • 64% of victims are cisgender men.
    • Trans people account for 18% of cases, marking a significant increase.

🌟 Events and developments

1️⃣ Verbal and physical abuse

  • Insults: Present in 40% of cases.
  • Physical assaults: 15% of testimonies report beatings, injuries or stalking.
  • Harassment: Mostly in the neighborhood, at work or in the family.

2️⃣ Increase in cases of transphobia

  • An increase of 27% compared to 2021, linked to the trivialization of transphobic discourse in the media and online.

3️⃣ Rejection and ignorance

  • Rejection behavior affects 68% of victims, amplifying their isolation and malaise.

🛠️ Recommendations for action

  1. Raising awareness from an early age
    • Develop educational modules on inclusion in schools and universities.
    • Train teachers to better welcome and support LGBTI students.
  2. Protecting victims
    • Strengthen online and face-to-face reporting systems.
    • Ensure that law enforcement and the justice system take appropriate action.
  3. Promoting inclusion in the workplace
    • Training managers on LGBTIphobia.
    • Set up corporate support networks.
  4. Penalizing hateful behavior
    • Strict enforcement of anti-discrimination and anti-hate speech legislation.

Report on LGBTIphobia | SOS homophobie

 

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Sexual orientation in the workplace: understand and act - IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité

30-12-2024

 

🌈 Orientation Sexuelle en Entreprise : Comprendre et Agir

The guide Sexual Orientation in the Workplace: Understanding and Acting, published by IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité, aims to provide companies with practical tools for including sexual orientation in their diversity policies. This document demonstrates that dealing with sexual orientation in the workplace contributes to employee well-being, loyalty and improved organizational performance.

📋 Why take sexual orientation into account?

  1. An often overlooked criterion
    Although sexual orientation is one of the 18 legal criteria for discrimination, it remains poorly integrated into companies' inclusion policies.
  2. A well-being issue
    LGBT+ employees who conceal their sexual orientation at work suffer considerable stress, which impacts on their productivity. An inclusive policy helps them to flourish.
  3. Impact on performance
    Companies that take diversity, including sexual orientation, into account attract and retain talent, while improving their image with customers and partners.

🛠️ Actions for effective inclusion

  1. Explicit company commitment
    • Explicitly mention sexual orientation in diversity charters and internal documents.
    • Sign anti-homophobia charters, like that of l'Autre Cercle.
  2. Awareness-raising and training
    • Training HR teams and managers in diversity management.
    • Organize workshops and events, such as the celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
  3. Setting up inclusive systems
    • Revise administrative documents to avoid discrimination (e.g., include the terms "partner" or "parent 1 and parent 2").
    • Create listening and reporting units to support employees who are victims of discrimination.
  4. Support for internal networks
    • Recognize and support in-house LGBT+ employee associations to improve cohesion and experience sharing.
  5. Working with external partners
    • Collaborate with specialized associations to enrich inclusion policies (SOS Homophobie, Homoboulot, etc.).

💡 Examples of committed companies

  • IBM: Executive training with an LGBT+ reverse mentoring program.
  • France Télécom - Orange: Support for the Mobilisnoo association, which helps LGBT+ employees.
  • Sodexo: Implementation of international inclusion charters and creation of an LGBT+ taskforce.

Guide "Sexual orientation in the workplace" | DILCRAH

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