Female Workers Subject to Increasing Abuse

Physical and sexual harassment of women in the workplace is a growing problem in Syria, according to an April 9 article published on the pro-government website Sham Press.



According to the article’s author, Damascus-based attorney Fayez Salhab, no accurate statistics are kept on the incidence of harassment as victims often fear retribution from their employers if they report it



Women who report harassment at work also face discrimination in a society that looks down upon victims of sexual abuse, Salhab said.



Another reason for underreporting is that employers frequently bribe police officers to drop charges filed by female staff.



One woman told the website that her supervisor at a sock factory in Aleppo had touched her inappropriately at least five times.



“I can’t tell the police because I could lose my job, and I need the money to pay for my rent and for my mother’s medication,” she said.



Another woman, who works in a government office in Damascus, said her employer often makes suggestive comments to her and other females working in the office.