Spotlight on sexual violence and harassment in commercial agriculture: Lower and middle income countries

Abstract

Sexual violence and harassment among commercial agricultural workers is widespread, perhaps even pervasive, throughout the world. This paper summarizes information from a synthesis of research conducted on sexual violence and harassment in four commercial agriculture contexts; one in Africa, one in Asia, and two in Latin America.The studies indicate that non-standard forms of work, including temporary work and informal work, are key factors in creating power differentials for perpetrators to carry out sexual violence and harassment against women workers. Sexual violence and harassment occurs in commercial agriculture when also combined with cultural norms that tend to tolerate such activities, and structural environments that distance perpetrators from accountability. Supervisors and more senior workers are most often the perpetrators in part because they have the power to (1) offer, deny or discontinue work; (2) lower the income that workers receive; (3) make the workers’ conditions very difficult; (4) undermine the workers’ social standing; and/or (4) offer advantages to the workers. These forms of power also threaten workers into silence so that they do not report. Agricultural workers’ vulnerability to sexual harassment is compounded by limited labour law coverage and poor labour inspection services extending to agricultural workers. Employers of agricultural workers are also found to lack effective preventative policies and practices.

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