Sexual harassment in the workplace still ranks as the greatest source of complaint to the Employment Equality Agency, according to its annual report. Speaking at the launch of the 1997 report in Government Buildings yesterday, the Agency's chairwoman, Ms Kate Hayes, said the level of sexual harassment "is still unbelievably high.
"However, without corroboration, it is almost as difficult to prove as rape. The effect of sexual harassment is quite traumatic and, particularly in a small town, it is very difficult to get other employment after a case becomes known," Ms Hayes said.
The report reveals that 116 complaints of sexual harassment were received by the EEA in 1997. The EEA's chief executive, Ms Carmel Foley, said the fact that sexual harassment was the largest inquiry category of the organisation's legal service might indicate an increasing problem or a growing unwillingness to tolerate it - or both.
Under equality legislation just passed, the EEA is to be renamed the Equality Authority from early next year.
Its brief is to be broadened to include new powers to prepare legally-recognised codes of practice and to undertake equality reviews and action plans for businesses.
"I believe gender equality will remain the single biggest area of discrimination in employment until the wage gap closes, [until] women are equally represented in top management and enjoy full rights as part-time workers."
Other aspects of the report showed the agency received 79 complaints about pregnancy discrimination.
It also demonstrated that the growth of women's employment from 1991 to 1996 almost equalled the growth of women's employment in the previous 20 years.
By 1996, women accounted for almost 40 per cent of the workforce.
However, on average, women still earn between 20 per cent and 30 per cent less than their male colleagues.
Accepting the report, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said given the rate of complaints about sexual harassment, it was "a good thing" the Employment Equality Act dealt with the issue. For the first time, a definition of sexual harassment was included in legislation and parameters were established in relation to behaviour in the workplace with regard to the problem.
"By the widening of the scope of the legislation in the new Employment Equality Act, I would not like people to be under the illusion that we consider the problem of discrimination on grounds of gender to be a thing of the past. That is not the case," the Minister said.
A great deal remained to be done to bring about a situation where real equality of opportunity existed between men and woman in employment in terms of access, pay and advancement, he added.
Following publication of the report, the Fine Gael TD, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, called on the Minister to consider seriously a work place-based information campaign on sexual harassment.
This would increase awareness of the issue and the increased participation of women in the workforce made such a development an imperative.