Criminal protection for women from sexual harassment in the workplace in Syrian Legislation: A comparative study

Abstract

Sexual harassment is a form of gender-based violence against women, and it is a negative social phenomenon that affects all societies. However, the effects of this phenomenon appears to be more dangerous in the work environment. That is because the work environment may constitute a fertile environment for the practice of sexual harassment, which hinders women’s readiness enter the field of work and their continuity in it, especially in light of the silence of harassed workers about reporting these practices, and the inadequacy of labor legislation to protect them and provide them with a safe working environment. Given the seriousness of this phenomenon, the French national and international social legislators called to confront it and impose deterrent penalties against the harasser, and to secure protection for victims of harassment. On the other hand, we find that Syrian and Jordanian legislators have not kept pace with social legislative developments to secure safe working environment for women.

This study attempts to define the phenomenon of sexual harassment of working women and shed light on the protection granted to them in international labor standards and labor legislation in Syria, Jordan, and France.