Fifth of female healthcare workers have been sexually assaulted at work, Unite survey finds
A survey by the Unite union1 has found that almost a fifth of female healthcare workers have experienced work related sexual assault. Unite counts 65 000 women in the healthcare sector among its membership, including GPs, hospital doctors, paramedics, and nurses. As part of a wider survey polling members in all 19 occupational sectors, it found that 18% of female healthcare workers had been sexually assaulted at work. In addition, 46% had experienced unwanted flirting, gesturing, or sexual remarks, 47% had been the recipient of sexually offensive jokes, 34% had been inappropriately touched, and almost one in five had been shown pornographic images or had them shared by a manager, colleague, or third party. It further found that 60 women among 1000 healthcare workers who responded to the survey had been a victim of sexual coercion at work. Unite’s national officer for health, Richard Munn, said, “No woman in the health sector should go to work and endure harassment. We …
