Dimension: 5.2.3 Combating sexism, harassment and violence
This dimension concerns parliament’s role in preventing and combating sexism, harassment and violence towards MPs and parliamentary staff. Sexism, harassment and violence, particularly against women, plague workplaces throughout the world. No workplace or environment is immune from such unacceptable behaviour.
Parliaments are no exception. A work environment free of sexist behaviour and violence is in everyone’s interest. This applies to men and women and to all personnel categories in parliament (MPs, staff, assistants, etc.), and to all forms of harassment, notably gender-based violence.
Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. should adopt a workplace policy for combating sexism, harassment and violence in parliament that is in line with national and international obligations and best practice. The objectives of the policy should be clearly stated, possibly underscoring the intolerable and illegal nature of sexism, harassment and violence in parliament and affirming the commitment of the institution’s leaders to prevent and eliminate these problems.
The policy should also protect personnel from acts of harassment and violence perpetrated by third parties. MPs, but also sometimes parliamentary staff, may be the targets of threats, remarks and violence, including of a sexist and/or sexual nature, at meetings or social events, by post, email or mobile messaging, or through the media or social networks.
The bodies that can receive and process complaints must be clearly identified. The complaints mechanism must in all cases be:
- confidential
- responsive to complainants
- fair to all parties
- based on a thorough, impartial and comprehensive investigation
- timely
Implementation involves establishing initiatives to provide information and training, raise awareness and offer support services for victims of sexist acts, harassment and violence at work. Continuous monitoring and regular evaluation of these initiatives is also required.
Aspiring goal
Assess your parliament against this dimension
Assessment criteria
No 1: Policy for combating sexism, harassment and violence in parliament
Parliament has adopted a workplace policy for combating sexism, harassment and violence in parliament that is in line with national and international obligations and best practice.
No 2: Protection against abuse by third parties
Parliament takes specific measures to protect MPs and others working there who are subjected by third parties to threats, assaults, or sexist or sexual violence, including online harassment/cyberbullying.
No 3: Complaints mechanism
Parliament has a confidential complaints mechanism to receive and process complaints by MPs and staff. This mechanism is confidential; responsive to complainants; fair to all parties; based on a thorough, impartial and comprehensive investigation; and timely.
No 4: Awareness-raising and training
Parliament regularly conducts awareness-raising and training programmes for MPs and staff combating sexism, harassment and violence.
No 5: Monitoring
Parliament monitors the effectiveness and impact over time of policies to combat sexism, harassment and violence in parliament, including by collecting baseline data and the experiences and perceptions of people working in parliament.
How to complete this assessment
This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based.
The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:
- National and international obligations relating to sexism, harassment and violence at work
- Parliamentary policies, regulations and protocols, or provisions in rules of procedure or a code of conduct, aimed at preventing and combating sexism, harassment and violence
- Reports or other information that provide evidence of regular monitoring and implementation of policies and regulations in practice
Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.
Sources and further reading
- Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Guidelines for the elimination of sexism, harassment and violence against women in parliament (2019)
Get help with this assessment
The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators.
Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.
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