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Sex in the boardroom!
29 Dec 2008, 0800 hrs IST,
PALLAVI TYAGI
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“When
a man talks dirty to a woman, its sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to
a man, it's $3.95 per minute”
The famous Steven Wright quote
seems to be quite paradoxical, especially in the light of a recent Australian
survey. According to the survey, it’s not only women who face sexual
harassment at work places; men also have to go through the unwanted office
vixenry. Remember Michael Douglas in Disclosure or Akshay Kumar in the
desi
version Aitraaz? The study also states that many men are sexually harassed by
women at work but are afraid to complain to their bosses. And even if they
complain about their bosses, they are more likely to be told they are actually
lucky to be ogled and hassled!
This couldn’t be closer
to the truth, at least where India Inc is concerned. We spoke to a cross-section
of people on the issue and the reactions were, well, surprising, to say the
least! Read
on...
What’s
going on in that
cubicle?
“Yes. I agree
that sex has entered the boardroom big time. Males are actually facing sexual
pestering by female bosses and colleagues.” says ex. lieutenant Rita
Gangwani, carefully avoiding the words harassment and exploitation.
“Since time immemorial,
man has been the ruler and female just a follower. But with changing times, the
new age women are getting much empowered. They are rubbing shoulders with men
and doing much better in most of the fields. So, such sexual advances can be
about flaunting, exercising power and not actually about sex, “she further
exemplifies.
Supports
producer of a leading sports channel, “Behind the scenes of every male
life, there are instances (though very few) when they come across such a boss.
But, to be very honest, if it exists then it’s a win-win situation for
him.”
For most people,
however, sexual harassment of a man by a woman is inane, to say the least.
“A hidden world of sexual harassment, with female managers exploiting
their power over men in the office, seems very unreal. See, especially in the
desi context, sex is a very hush-hush thing and not something easily available.
So, in such situation even if a man gets such a proposition, he can just not
mind it. This stands true even if he doesn’t get any materialistic favours
from his female boss in return. Where is the issue?” questions COO of a
renowned Internet-solution company.
Pallavi Shekhar, sales
manager, Idea Cellular Ltd, shares a similar opinion, “We all know how
grapevines work at workplace. She would gain instant fame in and out the office.
Why would a female herself opt for a situation in which everyone in the office
and even in the industry think of her as a bimbo? No matter how modern a woman
is - image matters a lot.”
Can a
female actually exploit a man?
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