
Prohibiting Workplace Sexual Harassment
A Cross-Cultural Analysis
Cher Weixia Chen(Author)
Edward Elgar Publishing
Published on 16. September 2025
Book
Hardback
286 pages
978-1-0353-2934-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides a cross-cultural analysis of how legislatures, judiciaries, NGOs, and corporations worldwide address workplace sexual harassment. Informed by the ongoing cultural relativism v. universalism debate, Cher Weixia Chen draws upon four theoretical models of gender and policy: the sameness model, the difference model, the dominance model, and the critical feminist model, injecting new vitality into the existing literature on sexual harassment.
Chen systematically investigates and characterizes strategies for prohibiting workplace sexual harassment across the globe, moving beyond the Euro-American focus to offer a comprehensive global survey on an emerging universal human rights norm. She evaluates a vast range of data, including national workplace sexual harassment laws across 193 countries, 37 judicial decisions from the highest courts of 10 common law countries, and policies from 30 NGOs in six countries and the 50 largest global corporations. By raising awareness of the cultural variations in sexual harassment laws and policies, this book ultimately aims to contribute to improving the wellbeing of workers and building working environments free from harassment worldwide.
Prohibiting Workplace Sexual Harassment is an essential resource for students and academics in gender and law, employment law, human rights, and law and society. Its diverse methodologies and engaging perspectives will also greatly benefit practising lawyers, policymakers and NGOs.
Chen systematically investigates and characterizes strategies for prohibiting workplace sexual harassment across the globe, moving beyond the Euro-American focus to offer a comprehensive global survey on an emerging universal human rights norm. She evaluates a vast range of data, including national workplace sexual harassment laws across 193 countries, 37 judicial decisions from the highest courts of 10 common law countries, and policies from 30 NGOs in six countries and the 50 largest global corporations. By raising awareness of the cultural variations in sexual harassment laws and policies, this book ultimately aims to contribute to improving the wellbeing of workers and building working environments free from harassment worldwide.
Prohibiting Workplace Sexual Harassment is an essential resource for students and academics in gender and law, employment law, human rights, and law and society. Its diverse methodologies and engaging perspectives will also greatly benefit practising lawyers, policymakers and NGOs.
Reviews / Votes
'This important work provides a comprehensive overview of the global legal landscape of laws, and the key debates around various legal and policy approaches to addressing sexual harassment at work. It does an excellent job of critically assessing the roles and impact of legislation, judicial decisions, civil society actors and corporations in tackling this pressing issue. The book is a "must read" for academics, students, policy makers and civil society actors concerned about sexual harassment in the workplace.' -- Penelope Simons, University of Ottawa, Canada 'Prohibiting Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Cross-Cultural Analysis is one of the most comprehensive and insightful contributions to the global discourse on workplace sexual harassment. Drawing on cutting-edge research and an impressive breadth of international data, Chen examines how various countries and regions address this critical issue. Her analysis-grounded in policy, law, corporate practices, and the role of NGOs-offers a multidimensional framework for understanding and combating harassment. This book is an essential roadmap for policymakers, scholars, and advocates navigating the global #MeToo era.' -- Angela Hattery, University of Delaware, USAMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-2934-2 (9781035329342)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Cher Weixia Chen, Associate Professor, School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, USA
Content
Contents
1 Introduction: the #MeToo movement and workplace sexual
harassment
2 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
legislatures
3 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
judiciaries
4 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of NGOs
5 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
corporations
6 Conclusion: a human rights norm of prohibiting workplace
sexual harassment
1 Introduction: the #MeToo movement and workplace sexual
harassment
2 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
legislatures
3 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
judiciaries
4 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of NGOs
5 Prohibition of workplace sexual harassment: the role of
corporations
6 Conclusion: a human rights norm of prohibiting workplace
sexual harassment