Too Few, Too Little: Parliaments’ Response to Sexism and Sexual Harassment

Abstract

Despite the increasingly reported incidence of sexual harassment among female elected representatives and staff members around the world, many more cases may not surface due to the power asymmetries, partisan logics and male organisational culture underpinning parliaments. No workplace is immune to sexual harassment, but when such misconducts occur in parliaments women’s right to fully and equally participate in political life is severely infringed. While international organisations have issued numerous resolutions calling parliaments to take action, this article shows that most legislative chambers in Europe and the Americas lag behind the adoption of adequate preventative measures, complaint mechanisms and reparation measures