25 OCTOBER 2017

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A new BBC survey shows half of British women and a fifth of men have been sexually harassed at work or a place of study. Of the women who said they had been harassed, 63% said they didn't report it to anyone, and 79% of the male victims kept it to themselves.

Fawcett Society Chief Executive Sam Smethers says:

“Until now sexual harassment has been hidden from view and women experiencing it have been isolated. But now we can see we have an epidemic of sexual harassment and misogyny in our society and it is impossible for most women affected to challenge it because it’s about an unequal power relationship.

We want to see misogyny recognised as a hate crime and place the responsibility on employers to prevent harassment and discrimination in their workplaces.”

In the wake of sexual assault claims against Harvey Weinstein, women took to social media using the hashtag #metoo, showing just how widespread sexual harassment really is. The survey was commissioned after the trend resulted in thousands of women speaking out.

The largest anti-sexual assault helpline in the US has also reported a 21% surge in calls since allegations against Weinstein came to light.

Read this blog about the social media trend #metoo here.