Lina Mutesi recently received a call from a friend who connected her to an official working with a government institution. For a young woman who had been searching for employment for years, the opportunity was almost too good to be true.
And indeed it was. Even though it was not a long-term deal, she didn’t hesitate to meet with the official because she was desperate, and needed a financial boost. The job was in Gisenyi, Rubavu District, and during their first meeting, they agreed on setting out together the following morning.
"When we got there, he did what he was supposed to do, all the while, I was like an escort, doing absolutely nothing. This made me suspicious. In the evening, he told me he wanted us to spend the night together. I said no, but he kept on insisting and I was afraid he would forcefully have his way. He let me go but I had to seek lodging at a friend’s place who stays in that town. He, however, agreed to take me back to Kigali the following day,” the 27-year-old says.
"There was no job offer; the man just wanted an escort for ‘company’ during his mission. I felt so humiliated,” she adds.
Like Mutesi, many young women fall prey to scheming men who take advantage of their desperation for employment.
Women continue to come forward with accusations of sexual harassment in politics, media, entertainment and other fields, following the downpour of accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein last year, and it is striking how many of their stories share the same ending.
Either the alleged abuse, the victim’s refusal to stay quiet, or both, slams the door on critical job opportunities and puts a serious — sometimes terminal — dent in a woman’s career. In some cases, the victim never works in her choice of industry again.
More than 70 women accused the Miramax film studio’s co-founder of sexual misconduct, including rape, in a series of incidents dating back decades. The accusations gave rise to the #MeToo movement, which has seen hundreds of women publicly accusing powerful men in business, government and entertainment of sexual harassment and abuse, most of them during their pursuit for employment or at the workplace.
A couple of years ago, after Chantal Iriza had just graduated, a cousin’s friend offered to help her search for employment prospects online, and they agreed to meet over the weekend at his workplace. "He was like a rescuer to me, because back then, it was not easy to find employment, let alone on the Internet,” she says.
She called him upon reaching their agreed meeting place, but the man asked her to find him a few blocks ahead.
"When I got to the gate, I realised he had invited me to his home. I knew he was a friend to my cousin but I couldn’t trust him. I remained calm and told myself that I’d leave in a few minutes. Unfortunately, it started raining,” she recalls.
She had no option but to go in, but then she started sensing trouble, and her instincts were not wrong.
"The man grabbed me by the arm and took me to the bedroom by force. I couldn’t believe what was happening. He wanted to rape me and I was terrified, but I fought back and managed to pull away from him. I ran and did not look back,” Iriza recalls.
Iriza and Mutesi’s cases shed light on the challenges young women face in their quest for employment.
Around the world, finding a job is much tougher for women than it is for men.
However, in an era where women empowerment is at the forefront and sexual harassment garners a prison sentence, why are such cases still happening?
Claudette Niyacu, an administrator, says it is all in ‘the way men see women’.
"Some men see women as sexual objects, so in cases where women are ‘at their mercy’ they use that opportunity to harass them,” she says.
Derrick Kabanda, a student, says young women go through many challenges when looking for jobs. If one is not principled, it is easy to end up going along with it, he says.
"For young women to survive such times, they need to know what they want and put their integrity above everything else,” he says.
Sylvie Nsanga, a feminist, believes that at times, women lack the confidence to stand their ground when it comes to sexual harassment scenarios.
"This confidence issue pushes women to underestimate themselves, but if you scrutinise this, you will see that it stems from our culture, and how women were raised,” Nsanga says.
The other challenge, Nsanga says, is male dominance at the workplace.
"Some men at the workplace make sexual advances towards young women because they are in positions of power. Many have gone through this at some point,” she says.
Nsanga says that some women give in to such advances because they have ‘limited’ options.
"Sometime back, I faced such with my boss and I immediately resigned. But it’s because I knew I could stay with my mother without paying rent and this helped me stand my ground,” she says.
Clement Kirenga, a gender activist, says that many female job aspirants face sexual corruption and harassment.
"Many young women are faced with the pressure to exchange sex for jobs from male employers. This, sometimes, comes voluntarily from girls, or is induced by lack of confidence,” he says.
He says that apart from harassment, young women are also faced with limited and/or irrelevant skills when it comes to searching for employment. In some cases, young women either don’t have the required qualifications due to limited access to formal education, or, the educated ones are trained in a system and disciplines that are not so relevant to the job market, thus creating a labour market mismatch.
"Low levels of entrepreneurship culture affect young girls disproportionately compared to boys. They become jobseekers instead of creators. This is partly due to the type of training they received,” Kirenga says.
He explains that many young women lack confidence in themselves to apply and compete for jobs with male counterparts. This is due to cultural and societal damaging beliefs and practices that build girls and women in a more laid back way, limiting their courage and self-esteem to express themselves and show their capability.
What can be done to overcome this?
Nsanga believes that with sexual harassment, reporting such cases is the best solution.
She, however, says the reporting system should be improved, especially regarding privacy and protection.
Nsanga also suggests that there is need for more involvement of men in such issues.
"If we are talking about women issues, we need to involve men when coming up with solutions. Leaders in the workforce should also play their role by creating an environment which calls for gender balance and sensitivity at the workplace,” Nsanga says.
Kirenga believes that organisations must enact clear and strong recruitment policies that include punishment for sexual harassment.
"One of the provisions in such organisational policies could be to form independent recruitment committees. May be the whole process could be online and anonymous,” Kirenga says.
The education curriculum should have common guidelines developed for skills adaptable to the Rwandan market needs, he adds.
"Universities and government may create a safe and supportive environment for young women; and promote unbiased teaching practices, address harmful observes and barriers that put young women at risk (for example, late and discreet ‘job meetings and interviews’),” Kirenga suggests.
He also recommends gender training for employers or officers and companies in charge of recruitment and human resource management.
How can young women overcome sexual harassment challenges at the workplace?
Women need to be confident and believe that they can do just about anything. They also need to have it in their mind that they have what it takes to be successful at work and not rely on favours from men, because this is the main cause of harassment. Jamil Sentamu, Businessman -----
Cases of harassment need to be reported to superiors. This will help other women facing the same speak out and in the end, the culprits will be brought to justice. Apophia Rutayisire, Stylist -----
Women shouldn’t give ground for such instances to happen. They should be frank about what makes them uncomfortable and should always ensure to do everything by the book; if it’s a meeting or an interview let it be in a work setting, this way, they will limit the chances of harassment. Annet Imbabazi, Businesswoman -----
Employers should be very strict when it comes to cases of sexual harassment. They should also create an environment which is favourable to men and women. Muhuma Kanizio, Mechanic ----- editorial@newtimes.co.rw