Polish Society for Anti-Discrimination Law's Harassment Film Replaces Women with Sex Dolls
A sex doll in the role of an employee harassed by her boss - such shocking scenes will be seen in the latest campaign of the Polish Society for Anti-Discrimination Law, created by the MullenLowe Warsaw agency. The deliberate provocation is meant to open eyes to this problem in the workplace - where harassment happens most often and, at the same time, is under-recognised.
The association of a harassed woman's situation with that of a sex toy is not unfounded. The recent PTPA report served as the starting point of the #reagujostro campaign. It shows that sexual harassment is an almost constant part of women's professional lives - more than 80 per cent of the surveyed women were treated as sexual objects at work. Meanwhile, their harassers often go unpunished. The reason? Women are still ashamed that they experience harassment, preventing them from disclosing the problem and reporting abuse.
The social narrative doesn't encourage it either. "Sexual harassment is still a subject of derision; by many, it is seen as an artificially inflated problem," Karolina Kędziora, president of PTPA points out. "We often hear that women exaggerate, lack a sense of humour or don't know what flirting is." Most of the women I know have become accustomed to this and react only in cases where their boundaries are violated. And it should be made clear that sexual harassment is not limited to rape," Karolina Kędziora points out and continues to emphasise: it is also touching, patting, lustful gestures and glances, sending nude photos, bawdy allusions and proposals, remarks on appearance.
Significantly, terms such as 'feelings of agonising objectification' or 'being reduced to equipment' appeared in many women's accounts cited in the PTPA report. One statement reflects this: I've had enough. I am terribly sick of being seen as a set of elements to be grabbed, passed, and used.
Such statements moved the creators of the campaign and prompted them to reach for a strong message: "We want to make everyone aware of the objectification experienced by women who are harassed at work," argues Kinga Grzelewska, managing partner & creative director of MullenLowe Warsaw, "The scale of this phenomenon is horrifying. A sex doll is a potent symbol of such objectification, but it is precisely this power that we need to fight for change in a reality where it was quietly approved for many years, she adds.
As an employee of the office, health care, warehouse and other professions, the inflatable doll will be the main character of a series of social media posts. Importantly, well-known Polish women, including MP Katarzyna Kotula, writer Agnieszka Szpila, journalist and activist Maja Staśko, as well as influencers Karolina Brzuszczyńska WayOfBlonde, Agnieszka Skrzeczkowska Maschines, Agata Gołaszewska, Kornelia Głaszcz, Dominika Laskowska, Agata Reszko, Maluba and many others will also speak out in support of the harassed.
Still, most cases of harassment go unreported. Women do not object to harassment, even though they feel their dignity is violated. That's why the #reagujostro campaign encourages women to know their rights. Thanks to the hotline launched by the PTPA - 739,975,506- any woman can learn how to act within the law and in a safe way.
