UNIVERSITY

Gender-based violence, sexual harassment and sexist behaviour

Contact

The Equal Opportunities Working Group provides advice in cases of sexual, gender-based and sexist harassment.

E-mail: AKG [dot] buero [at] aau [dot] at

Information leaflet – Grenzen setzen (German only)

Further information for teaching courses:

Sexual and gender-based harassment are considered discrimination on the basis of gender (B-GlBG) and may result in disciplinary action.

In addition to sexual and gender-based harassment, there are also sexualized forms of harassment. These are not trivial offenses. Harassment is not based on reciprocity, but on the exercise of power and superiority. Acts of harassment violate the dignity of those affected through verbal, non-verbal, open or hidden assaults (e.g. unwanted remarks of sexual or gender-related content, unwanted comments or jokes about the appearance of employees and students, unwanted requests to perform sexual acts, etc.) and are thus also to be seen as physical or psychological violence.

Harassment is one of the most serious forms of interference in the study- and workplace!

Do not accept gender-related nor sexual harassment unchallenged!

Harassment as an act of discrimination

“All university employees are obligated to refrain from and prevent harassment, sexual harassment, bullying and stalking, and to promote respectful, cooperative interaction between university employees.” (Article 5 Para. 1 Statutes Part E/III Equal Opportunity Plan)

FAQ – sexual harassment, gender-based violence, sexist behaviour

What is sexual harassment?

According to Section 6 (2) of the Equal Treatment Act (Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, GlBG), sexual harassment occurs when conduct belonging to the sexual sphere is carried out in a way that impairs the dignity of a person and is undesirable, inappropriate, degrading, insulting or offensive to the person, thereby creating an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment for the person.

If these four elements are present, it qualifies as sexual harassment:

BEHAVIOR OUT OF SEXUAL SHPERE

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VIOLATION OF DIGNITY

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UNWANTED

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IMPAIRMENT OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

What is gender-based violence?

According to Section 7 (2) of the GlBG, gender-based harassment occurs when gender-based behaviour is exhibited, which impairs the dignity of a person, is undesirable for the person and creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment.

If these four elements are present, it qualifies as sexual harassment:

GENDER-RELATED BEHAVIOR

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VIOLATION OF DIGNITY

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UNWANTED

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IMPAIRMENT OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

What is sexualizied harassment?

The term sexualized harassment is used when it is associated with demonstrations of superiority and power that are not related to sexuality and whose aim is to intimidate, coerce and discriminate. Sexualized harassment belongs to sexual violence. Men are also affected by sexualized harassment and furthermore especially inter*, trans* and non-binary people.

What counts as harassment in the study- and workplace?

Sexual, gender-related and sexualized harassment includes unwanted sexual physical touching, sexual acts and requests. It also includes unwanted remarks with sexual/sexist content as well as the unwanted display and visible placement of pornographic images.

What should I do in case of sexual harassment?

In a first step, it is important that you take a clear stand against the harassing person and set limits. A further step is to involve third parties in order to find supporters, clarify the facts and weigh up legal options. Contact the Equal Opportunities Working Group Equal Opportunities and seek competent advice.

What should I do as a witness of sexual harassment?

Do not look away. If you witness harassment, offer your help. Together with the person being harassed, clarify what kind of support they would like. It is important that you don’t do anything against the person’s wishes. You can contact the counseling centres yourself to clarify your options as a witness. During the counseling session, however, you must maintain the anonymity of the people involved and handle the information confidentially.

If you are in a position of responsibility (e.g. a line manager, course instructor, trusted contact) your duty of care (Section 18 of the Employees Act) requires that you act immediately. This means that all necessary measures must be taken to protect the harassed person from further harassment. The Equal Opportunities Working Group can support you in an advisory capacity.