Sexual Harassment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Sexual harassment is a pervasive form of gender-based violence that has negative social and health impacts, yet there is only limited research available on sexual harassment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to better understand how participants across a variety of countries and settings conceptualized sexual harassment and to investigate its causal factors, consequences, coping strategies, and recommendations for prevention and interventions. We searched eight databases and included English language qualitative studies published from 1990 until June 2021 if they mentioned sexual harassment in LMICs and included female or male participants aged 12 and older. This resulted in 34 included studies. Overall, this review established that sexual harassment was salient in participants’ lives, yet their conceptualizations of sexual harassment varied widely and were strongly influenced by contextual and sociocultural factors. Overall, our review has highlighted (1) the conflation of sexual harassment and sexual violence, (2) the intersections of gendered power with other hierarchies of authority, age, and socio-economic status and how the role of power is different in street versus educational and workplace settings, (3) the patriarchal norms, gender inequalities, and normalization of gender-based violence that enable sexual harassment and silence those affected by it, (4) the varied expectations of how women should cope with sexual harassment in order for their experiences to be validated, and (5) the need for gender norms change and fair and effective policies in order to not only prevent sexual harassment but also address the underlying causes.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence and Abuse in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

“…The search string used was the names of all LMICs as defined by the World Bank’s (2023) classification. This method has been used in evidence reviews with a contextual focus on LMICs (see, e.g., Hardt et al, 2022 ).…”

“…This review highlighted the lack of a robust evidence base as prevalence ranged widely from 14.5% to 98.8%, and it was noted that due to the ambiguity of definition, it is difficult to measure among the studies ( Ranganathan et al, 2021 ). Research has also revealed that the consequences of sexual violence are serious and complex in LMICs ( Hardt et al, 2022 ). Importantly, Hardt et al’s (2022) study found that impacts vary across LMIC settings and are influenced by contextual and socio-cultural factors.…”

“…Research has also revealed that the consequences of sexual violence are serious and complex in LMICs ( Hardt et al, 2022 ). Importantly, Hardt et al’s (2022) study found that impacts vary across LMIC settings and are influenced by contextual and socio-cultural factors. Clearly, a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the types, impacts, and victim-survivors’ responses to TFSVA in LMICs is needed.…”

Sexual Harassment of Women During Medical Internships: Association with Knowledge of Protective Laws in Lima, Peru

“…Similarly, harassing messages, sexual jokes, and inappropriate touching, even if not in intimate areas, constitute sexual harassment and are often not perceived as such. It is crucial to highlight the various forms of sexual aggression present in a hierarchical environment since they are often not obvious, leaving the aggressor in an advantageous position over the victim (21).…”

Power Relation of a Sexual Harassment Victim in Penyalin Cahaya: A Critical Discourse Analysis

“…The patriarchal culture of Indonesia contributes greatly to the continuation of sexual harassment cases. Sexual harassment is made possible by the power disparities between men and women, which are maintained by rigid patriarchal norms and gender inequality (Hardt et al, 2022). In a patriarchal system, the male party believes that they are in a superior position and have full authority over women.…”