Sexual Harassment & Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Sexual Harassment
Training Objective: This training aims to equip our volunteers and employees with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand, recognize, and help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and in the ministry. By the end of the session, participants will have a clear understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment, the different types of harassment, its impact on individuals and the workplace, and the legal obligations surrounding it.
Sexual harassment is defined as physical, verbal, or non-verbal/visual conduct that is either directed toward an individual or reasonably offensive to an individual because of his or her sex.
Physical - This not only includes overt actions such as assault or abuse but also includes more covert physical touching in a manner not generally considered appropriate social touching.
Verbal - This can include disparaging remarks about a person’s gender, comments or jokes of a sexual nature, requests for sexual favors or unwelcome sexual advances.
Visual or Non-Verbal - This can include facial expressions, suggestive gestures, leering and even can be vocal such as making sounds or whistling.
Online or Electronic - Sexual harassment can occur anywhere such as online or other electronic platforms. Which can include sharing sexually suggestive comments or media through posts in social media platforms, emailing, texting, calling, etc.
Offsite - Includes work related social events, business travel or unwelcome visits to a person’s home or hotel room.
Quid Pro Quo: “quid pro quo” harassment, which refers to conditioning employment opportunities on submission to a sexual or social relationship.
- Job: “You do me this favor, I can guarantee you the job.
- Special List: “You know what you have to do to get on that list.
Hostile Environment: “hostile environment” harassment, which refers to the creation of an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment through unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Examples: Hostile Environment (Most Common):
- Uninvited touching (including hugging) and/or sexually suggestive comments
- Inappropriate display of sexual posters, photos, cartoons
- Obscene gestures, sounds, jokes, practical jokes, emails, texts, leering
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Training Objective: This DEI session aims to cultivate a culture that celebrates diversity, promotes equity, and fosters inclusion. Through this training, volunteers and employees will gain an understanding of the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, including how multiple identities intersect and the benefits of diversity in ministry.
Diversity encompasses the presence of a variety of different elements within a group, organization, or society. Diversity consists of societal influences, parental influences, media, life events, geography, education, religion, culture, gender, media, and much more.
Ensuring that everyone has access to the same opportunities and is provided with the resources they need to reach their full potential. It recognizes that individuals have different starting points and may require different levels of support to achieve the same outcomes.
Treating everyone identically, regardless of individual differences.
The act of including others in one’s group
Unconscious or Implicit Bias: Unconscious or implicit biases are assumptions that you learn over time; they can form based on your experiences and how you identify. Unconscious bias can look, feel, and sound like stereotypes, which can cause harm and limit opportunities to better connect with others.
Transgender: Identifying with a gender that differs from your gender and sex assigned at birth
Cisgender: Identifying with the same gender and sex you were assigned at birth
Non-binary: Gender identity that does not align with the genders man or woman. Outside of the gender norm or gender binary. Genderfluid: Identifying with multiple genders.
Gender nonconforming: A gender identity that does not adhere to social norms
Dysphoria: The feeling of not being connected to your body. Experiencing extreme depression and anxiety due to this.
Pronouns: what you use to refer to someone without using their name
Neo-pronouns: lesser known or uncommon pronouns that people use, outside of our regular binary
AFAB: Assigned Female At Birth
AMAB: Assigned Male At Birth
Deadname: One’s legal name that they no longer go by. It is NEVER ok to refer to someone as their deadname.