National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
J Interpers Violence. 2022 Oct;37(19-20):NP17492-NP17516. doi: 10.1177/08862605211028309. Epub 2021 Jun 28.
Sexual harassment is pervasive worldwide, yet there is a lack of clarity on its conceptualization in many settings, especially in low-income countries. Context-specific conceptualization of sexual harassment is vital to develop effective measurement tools, estimate its magnitude, and the design of interventions to address it. We explored how different population groups in Mwanza, Tanzania, understood, conceptualized, and experienced sexual harassment. This study employed a qualitative research design involving 74 in-depth interviews and 13 focus group discussions with participants from educational, workplace, and public settings in Mwanza, Tanzania. Participants were adolescent girls and boys, adult women and men. We explored individual-level perceptions and experiences of sexual harassment, and community norms and expectations around sexual harassment. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Participants' perceptions of sexual harassment emphasized the critical role of consent, the expression of male power, and social norms with regard to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment was understood to be a result of men being in positions of power and in charge of material resources, school grades, or employment opportunities. These in turn enabled them to take advantage of girls and women. Social norms around male and female interactions, courtship and seduction, expressions of sexual interest were crucial in delineating what was and what was not considered sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a fluid concept, and its definition is highly dependent on contextual factors. Consent underpins the conceptualization of sexual harassment and is a fundamental feature in the definition and measurement of sexual harassment in Tanzania. Consent is largely determined by sexual norms around male and female interactions and gendered power. There is a need for consensus in schools, workplaces, and communities about what constitutes sexual harassment in order to measure and address it appropriately.
性骚扰在全球范围内普遍存在，但在许多环境中，其概念界定并不明确，尤其是在低收入国家。性骚扰的概念化需要具有特定背景，这对于开发有效的衡量工具、估计其规模以及设计干预措施以解决性骚扰问题至关重要。我们探讨了坦桑尼亚姆万扎的不同人群群体如何理解、概念化和体验性骚扰。本研究采用定性研究设计，在坦桑尼亚姆万扎的教育、工作和公共场所，对 74 名青少年女孩和男孩、成年妇女和男子进行了深入访谈和 13 次焦点小组讨论。参与者探讨了个人层面上对性骚扰的看法和经历，以及社区对性骚扰的规范和期望。我们使用主题方法分析数据。参与者对性骚扰的看法强调了同意的关键作用、男性权力的表达以及与性骚扰有关的社会规范。性骚扰被理解为男性处于权力地位并负责物质资源、学校成绩或就业机会的结果。这反过来又使他们能够利用女孩和妇女。关于男性和女性互动、求爱和诱惑、性兴趣表达的社会规范在界定什么是性骚扰和什么不是性骚扰方面至关重要。性骚扰是一个灵活的概念，其定义高度依赖于背景因素。同意是性骚扰概念化的基础，是坦桑尼亚性骚扰定义和衡量的基本特征。同意在很大程度上取决于关于男性和女性互动的性规范以及性别权力。为了适当衡量和解决性骚扰问题，需要在学校、工作场所和社区中就什么构成性骚扰达成共识。
