Sexual Harassment

The heat is on. This time, in the workplace. Ask any working woman and she would leap in whole-hearted agreement at the rising incidences of sexual overtures being slapped on a woman at strategic points, of course. One can almost hear the symphony of whinings from women: "my boss made a pass at me" or "My manager called me into his cabin and then tried to force himself on me." Or then the more subtle "My colleague always makes graphic remarks about my outfit" or in sexual innuendoes doing the rounds in plenty at the office. Whether softly whispered or obscenely demonstrated, the women all scream "Sexual Harassment".

Now, now, my intention is not to belittle this most heinous crime, punishable under law or to trifle the tribulations of the women facing this onslaught. True, hell hath no fury like a woman being harassed sexually- implicitly or explicitly. And especially since they have so many other areas of challenge confronting their lives day after day. One would expect an outburst of "this is not just" every now and then. What they are merely doing is making their discontent vocal. And rightly so.

But that’s just one side of the story. I saw the gory other side when I witnessed this most horrific-to-a-woman’s- dignity kind of a scene in a plush office environment of a metropolis. Cut to a woman manager who is dressed to work like she is visiting a night bar. Gosh when will they learn to "power-dress"? Anyway, to each her own, should I say? Well, her brains are pea-sized smaller than those garishly painted nails, her capabilities poor enough to show her the exit door. But she has something else she could deftly use and that is her sexual prowess. Harsh as this might sound, this is a common occurrence in our "burn-your-bra" age of the modern woman. Anyway, the I’ll-make-you-go-weak-in-the-knees woman sets about her daily agenda with enough of warpaint and flesh to mask her inefficiency. All she does is walk in and out of the GM’s cabin, strutting her stuff for all to notice. Some scorn, the others are delighted, it titillates their baser selves, after all. She blatantly does "favours" not very becoming of a gentlewoman and the increments and promotions come in regularly, while the rest of the "plain Janes" but "sharper brains" are left to struggle the more decent way. Which they, do without a whimper. But the seething rage can be felt, the fumes very much in the air. I sense a little rebellion starting to take roots. Cut to dismay.

Post this horror show, I wonder whether it is really fair to just put all the blame on the men when there are women by the scores who are demeaning themselves by lending themselves to pleasures that are not exactly laudable! Why doesn’t anyone raise a hue and cry about this injustice that leaves the other more deserving womenfolk wanting for more justice, more rewards perhaps in sync with their talents. Maybe their clarion call should be "Sexual harnessment". Would do the fairer race a whole lot of fairness. Justly speaking.