On sexual harassment: Why #metooakademia?

What is sexual harassment? “Unwanted sexual behavior” can range from an inappropriate look or remark, to a pat on the behind, sexual assault and psychological violence. When such behaviours amount to ”creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment” you are being sexually harassed (UN Womenwatch). This problem is not primarily personal but structural. Academia is full of strong hierarchical structures, quick turnovers and temporary positions, and power-structures are strongly gender-divided. Such structural inequalities facilitate and mask repeated abuses of power, including sexual harassment. So why has the #metoo wave come with such impact, now? We propose that the possibilities for partial anonymisation, collectivity and solidarity are operative reasons for victims coming forward online, and we propose that such options are vital for reporting harassment offline too. When collecting personal data for research purposes, solid and well-monitored frameworks exist to protect research informants’ anonymity. We propose that this could be a model for collecting institution-based information too. Though the identification of a plaintiff is important for litigation purposes, it is not important for collecting information relevant for monitoring and enforcing institutional justice. Besides educating students and members of staff we argue that it is crucial to afford victims institutional protection instead of exposing them to their agressors as part of reporting procedures.