'Gendered Scripts' - Narratives of Ugandan Women who experienced Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Abstract

This thesis projects the voices of women in Uganda who had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace; thereby ‘setting the record straight’ by revealing silenced/forgotten experiences of women. I refer to these women as ‘silenced’ or ‘forgotten’ as this area is an ‘unmarked/unresearched territory’ for both the Ugandan and UN context, with a paucity of research and minimal activism. This thesis highlights multifaceted axes of gendered difference in the social, cultural and class realm as well as the socio-economic inequalities contributing to sexual harassment of women. These women have to constantly negotiate their citizenry in these workspaces against a backdrop of sexuality, class, and gender inequality. Both the workspaces under discussion have a policy/law (and programme for the UN) and yet as the narrative suggest, sexual harassment still takes place, making the policies/programs reactive than pro-active. And yet the ‘gendered scripts’ - the manifestations of sexual harassment are real and vivid for these women who have to live with them on a daily basis.