Sexist jokes can be sexual harassment

Sexism or sexist statements and jokes are utterances based on the belief that one sex is superior to another; simply it is discrimination or prejudice arising from stereotypes about gender and is often expressed towards females, especially in patriarchal societies.

In some environments, people know that certain jokes have crossed the line of decency. But generally, many still go along with the sexist, gender-based and derogatory jokes that people around them make in order not to cause friction. And though it looks harmless, there is a need to understand that sexist jokes and language have serious implications as researches have proved that such jokes are sometimes the foundation of various kinds of gender-based violence.

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Offensive jokes, degrading language and objectification of individuals allow acts of violence such as rape, abuse and assault to breed by creating a permissive environment for such abuse to take place. Although, jokes and language may not directly cause violence, they do affect how we view issues. Many people shrug off sexist or inappropriate comments as mere jokes, forgetting that any joke which disrespects or degrades women, contributes to a culture that says it is okay to belittle them and treat them badly.

Many do not know that sexist jokes may be termed as sexual harassment, especially in the work place. Sexual harassment, also known as unlawful sex discrimination, is generally defined as the unwelcome verbal, visual, physical or non- verbal acts of a sexual nature based on an individual’s gender in a pervasive manner.

And since many feel uncomfortable with sexist jokes, it can clearly be said to be unwanted and unwelcomed; examples of these include spreading rumours about a person’s sexual life, talking about a person’s body parts, inappropriate touching of a person’s body or clothing, touching someone against her will, making sexual or sex-based jokes, looking up and down or staring at a person’s body and sharing messages or screensavers of a sexual nature, among other acts that people overlook. One fact to note is that sexual harassment does not have to be sexually suggestive and the law allows simple teasing and isolated offhand comments that happen once. But when the simple teasing and suggestive jokes persist, the sexual harassment it becomes pervasive. Consequently, a combination of simple incidents may add up to become a clear case of harassment.

According to psychologists and domestic violence advocates, sexist jokes can be a sign of a bigger problem. They argued that jokes disparaging women, or exhibiting tendencies that stick fanatically to traditional gender roles, are red flags that point to a potential abuser as the jokes obtrusively slid into something bigger.

Sexist jokes have been found to be the foundation for various forms of violence and people have been advised to take a stand against it.

It is not right to hold the belief that there is nothing wrong with sexist jokes because all forms of sexist attitudes and jokes encourage the promotion of gender stereotypes and discrimination against women especially in public places, and should not be tolerated.