Unravelling workplace harassment: Impact on professional journey of Indian women

Abstract

Modernization has increased the number of women working in both the organized and unorganized sectors, and we can witness a culture clash in many cases when a woman is the family's breadwinner. As women fight to pursue their career goals, they often face significant challenges, especially in patriarchal societies like India. A number of obstacles are presented in shape of discrimination and stigma based on gender, which hampers women’s advancement and undermine their professional goals. Though progress has been made in the direction of gender equality, deeply rooted cultural prejudices and conventions still exist, which makes it difficult for women to succeed in the workplace. Workplace harassment is one of the widespread phenomena which cannot be overlooked when it comes to professional growth of women. Despite the existing laws like POSH Act protecting individuals from it, the issue continues to loom in the air. The purpose of this secondary research is to better understand the source of workplace harassment that Indian women experience and how it affects their careers and general well-being. To draw the conclusion, a pool of 70 research papers was reviewed from various databases, out of which 15 types of research were cited according to relevance. The current research looks at the psychological toll that harassment has on victims, such as tension, anxiety, and diminished productivity. The research spots power disparities, gender inequality, and societal norms as the main contributors. The results suggest achievable strategies like quick reporting systems, victim support, bystander education, and creating a polite work environment in order to manage the workplace harassment against women.