A research paper on a survey of 308 students across 28 medical colleges in Maharashtra has revealed that gender discrimination and sexual harassment is rampant on these campuses. The paper , ‘Attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate medical students about sexual harassment and gender discrimination: A survey-based study ’ by Harleen Kaur et al, was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics last week. It revealed that 43.
2% of the students surveyed had faced some form of gender discrimination/sexual harassment, when asked specifically -- a wide range of these instances were described by the students in the questionnaires they filled out for the survey. It also found there was a lack of awareness, leading to these incidents being considered “part and parcel” of the MBBS curriculum, highlighting the need for more awareness. When probed, 42.
5% of students reported that they were afraid to report such events, while 62.7% felt that reporting such events could negatively affect their grades and future career prospects suggesting that such events are under-reported and that there is a need for greater focus in this area, the survey pointed out. Sexual harassment and gender discrimination can lead to both physical and psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and social isolation.
Disruptive workplace behaviour has been shown to have a dire impact on team collaboration and communication efficiency, leading to diminished staff performance and morale, the pape.
