The Teal Tree Company (3TC)
The Teal Tree Company (3TC)
Africa’s Foremost Gender Consulting Practice
Sexual harassment is a serious violation of human dignity that has persisted for decades, causing significant emotional, psychological, and professional harm. While awareness has grown since the 1970s, misconceptions and underreporting remain major barriers to addressing this pervasive issue.
Although sexual harassment is often linked to harm against women, it’s crucial to recognize that anyone—regardless of gender—can be a victim. It is a form of sexual violence that can manifest in various ways, affecting employees at all levels of an organization.
One of the biggest challenges is the lack of clear understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment. Its subtle nature often leads to unawareness, normalization, and underreporting.
However, in more overt cases, it involves direct and explicit actions. At its core, sexual harassment encompasses any unwelcome sexual behaviour—whether verbal, non-verbal, physical, or environmental—that creates discomfort or a hostile workplace.
What Sexual Harassment Is:
✅ A serious form of sexual violence, comparable in severity to other forms of abuse.
✅ Any unwelcome sexual behaviour, including direct or indirect actions, remarks, or communication that causes discomfort.
✅ The creation of a hostile work environment through persistent sexualized actions, materials, or workplace culture.
What Sexual Harassment Is Not:
❌ Limited to female victims—men and individuals of all gender identities can experience it.
❌ A single offhand or isolated remark—While inappropriate comments shouldn’t be ignored, harassment typically involves persistent negative and sexual behaviour
❌ Restricted to physical contact—it also includes online harassment, unwelcome messages, and inappropriate digital communication.
❌ The same as general discrimination or verbal abuse—while offensive, not all rude behaviour qualifies as sexual harassment unless it has a sexualized nature.
Employees shou feel safe in reporting harassment, they must be confident that their concerns will be taken seriously and that they will be protected from retaliation.
Organizations should provide training, resources, and strong whistleblower protections to foster an environment where victims and bystanders can report misconduct without fear.
Why Does This Matter?
Ultimately, the impact on the recipient defines sexual harassment. Regardless of intent, if the behaviour is unwelcome and creates discomfort, it is unacceptable and must be addressed.
Why Organisations Must Take Action
Organizations play a crucial role in preventing and addressing sexual harassment and companies that fail to address these issues risk not only reputational damage but also legal consequences and a toxic workplace culture.
Handling sexual harassment can be a herculean task for many organizations which is why at The Teal Tree Company, we specialize in comprehensive training, policy development, and tailored interventions to create safe and respectful workplaces.
Our expertise ensures that organizations establish clear reporting mechanisms, mediation processes, prevention strategies and a workplace culture rooted in accountability and respect.
More importantly, our approach with our clients is carried out with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.
Send us a mail now at hello@tealtree.co to develop a customized gender solution that ensures a safe and professional environment for all.
