We are not machines: Nike and Adidas workers in Indonesia

Sexual Harassment

According to the Nike-funded Global Alliance report released in February 2001, 7.8% of workers reported receiving unwelcome sexual comments and 3.3% reported being touched inappropriately (Center for Societal Development Studies 2001).

Workers interviewed for this report described a number of procedures which have been put in place to address this problem. Supervisors and managers have received training aiming to discourage sexual harassment, and in the Nikomas Gemilang factory a number of supervisors who were accused of sexual harassment have been fired. Most workers were unsure whether their fellow workers were being harassed as it is a very sensitive issue in Indonesian culture and not one that is discussed openly. Most believed that sexual harassment is now less of a problem in their factory than it has been in the past. None of the workers interviewed had been sexually harassed themselves although some said that sexual harassment continues to occur in their factory but workers are scared to report it because they believe they may lose their jobs if they accuse a member of the factory's management structure.

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