If you were to pass her in the streets you would have no idea about the struggles of workplace sexual harassment she and another co-worker had to endure. Most likely there were other victims.
Today those who speak up about workplace sexual harassment have to thank. “When 21 –year-old Dianna Evangeline took a job waitressing at a local Winnipeg restaurant, like many young Canadians she was looking to make money to pay for her tuition. But it wasn’t long before she was subjected to sexual harassment by a fellow employee. After months of constant harassment and verbal abuse with no support from her employer when he was notified, Evangeline quit her job. She filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission in 1983 against Platy Enterprises Ltd, the owners of Pharos Restaurant. What followed was a six –year emotional rollercoaster of court dates, defeats and appeals that ultimately brought Evangeline’s case a landmark win before the Supreme Court of Canada. Her case, Janzen v. Platy Enterprises Ltd. established that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination and is illegal in Canada. It also set a precedent, which made employers responsible for the inappropriate actions of their employers.”
Speaking up is part of taking back your power. Providing a safe workplace is the legal responsibility for all employers.
I am thankful, as a victim of workplace sexual harassment, that she had the courage to take her complaint to the Canadian Supreme Court and for making those who follow, have the right to speak up against sexual harassment in the workplace.
Twenty five years after landmark sexual harassment case, workers still vulnerable