A man, also an employee of the shop and probably her superior, was following her around saying: But you need to have four or five partners and you should be friendly and nice with all of them.

Obviously harassed, the young woman walked off, the man still talking in the same vein, trailing along behind her.

Women need to realise that this sort of behaviour is sexual harassment and that they need not put up with this kind of treatment from colleagues or superiors.

They should report these men immediately to their supervisors.

Men should realise that this kind of behaviour is extremely uncomfortable and repressive for women.

When making any kind of compliment they should pay attention to the effect their words have on the woman and stop when they see that she is feeling uncomfortable.

In this time of the HIV-pandemic it is a serious threat to anybodys health and life to have more than one partner.

Also sexual harassment of this kind may make life so uncomfortable for the woman involved that she may quit her job, thus contributing to unemployment, poverty and in many cases to the suffering of children.

Of course, sexual harassment may also be perpetrated by women upon men with equally negative consequences.

Luise Hoffmann
Via e-mail

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