Sexual Misconduct at the Workplace and a Culture of Impunity

The article responds to Pallavi Gogoi’s account in the Washington Post of being raped by M.J. Akbar, and to experiences of workplace sexual misconduct shared by friends, acquaintances and colleagues.

It identifies a common thread: ‘It is a skewered power dynamic between the abuser vis-à-vis the victim from a professional standpoint, and a professional/corporate culture which inhibits any apprehension of accountability for sexual misconduct.’ It writes: ‘Pursuing justice for sexual misconduct is, unfortunately, a very costly affair—socially, psychologically, and professionally.’

It concludes: ‘And it is high time that this culture that continues to favour the abuser came to an end.’