7 out of 10 women quit jobs after being sexually assaulted

By Kim Se-jeong

Seven out of 10 women who experience a sexual assault at their workplace ended up leaving their jobs last year, according to a recent study.

The Seoul Women Workers Association’s study published last week showed that out of 103 respondents, 72 percent said they quit their jobs because of retaliation from companies and colleagues after they raised the issue.

Among those who quit, 82 percent answered they quit within six months ― 57 percent within 30 days.

According to the report, “It is due to the fact that punishment against perpetrators is light and that atmosphere encourages people to discriminate against the victims for making the assault public.”

Fifty-seven percent answered they were directly punished by their employers for exposing the issue, an increase from 34 percent in 2015.

When it comes to the type of retaliation, being forced to quit and being removed from positions were the most common, with 31 people claiming this is what happened to them. Other common forms included physical and verbal abuse.

In a male dominated culture, Korea’s workplace is far from safe for female workers. Sexual assault is often committed by men, mostly senior colleagues, who take advantage of their positions in the workplace.

The report confirmed that point. Eighty-four percent of the respondents answered that the accused were either senior colleagues or heads of the organizations.

Holding perpetrators accountable for their actions was very rare at the workplace.

The current law requires employers to pay fines for failing to address the issue, but the amount is too little to bring about any meaningful change.

The study also showed 83.3 percent of the victims suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and 64 percent answered they needed professional help to get over the trauma.