Sexual harassment is, above all, a manifestation of power relations - women are much more likely to be victims of sexual harassment precisely because they lack power, are in more vulnerable and insecure positions, lack self confidence, or have been socialized to suffer in silence. Women are also subject to such conduct when they are seen to be competing for power. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination from both a legal and conceptual perspective. While men may be subjected to sexual harassment, the majority of victims are women. The problem relates to the roles which are attributed to men and women in social and economic life, which, in turn, directly or indirectly, affects women's position in the labour market.
Sexual harassment comes in many forms.
One of the most notorious is quid pro quo harassment . This term is used to describe the situation where an employee is forced to choose between acceding to sexual demands or losing job benefits. Such sexual blackmail is widely regarded as particularly reprehensible, since it represents a breach of trust and an abuse of power. Other forms may produce what is known as a hostile work environment. But, in any form, the conduct in question has to be unwelcome or unwanted by the person on the receiving end.