Sexual harassment and gender-based harassment are discrimination as referred to in the Equality Act. Sexual harassment refers to unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical behaviour of a sexual nature. The behaviour intentionally or actually violates the psychological or physical integrity of a person, particularly by creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere.
Forms of sexual harassment include, for example:
- vulgar jokes and suggestions
- inappropriate remarks about a person’s body or sexuality
- sexually offensive name-calling
- physical advances
- suggesting sex in an inappropriate context
- showing or sending unwanted messages or images.
Harassment can occur in any environment, such as social media, a public space, a street or a workplace.
Sexist hate speech
Sexist hate speech means offensive speech or forms of expression that spread, incite, promote or justify hatred based on gender. It stems from the power structures of society and results in inequality between genders. Sexist hate speech mainly targets girls and women.
Forms of sexist hate speech include, for example:
- blaming the victim of sexual violence
- sexually offensive name-calling
- humiliating a person by mocking or criticising their body
- sharing intimate or sexual images without permission
- making sexualised threats of death, rape or violence
- making threatening comments related to appearance, sexuality, sexual orientation or gender roles.
Sexist hate speech restricts the freedom of expression of its target. It is intended to humiliate, objectify, diminish others’ opinions and skills, make them feel fear and vulnerability, and to control and punish deviations from specific behaviours.
Contact Nollalinja for help with experiences of sexual harassment and sexual hate speech.
Read more: Sexual harassment (THL, in Finnish)