'No woman should suffer'

“Nothing was ever done about it.”

“I felt unable to report it.”

“No one was reprimanded.”

The overwhelming sentiment expressed in Unite’s landmark sexual harassment survey is one of devastating resignation.

But the findings are also helping to drive a collective campaign for change across the sector. Sexual harassment remains so endemic in many workplaces that women often feel powerless to challenge it alone, underscoring the importance of workers coming together to tackle the problem.

The union polled 300,000 of its women members across 19 sectors last year. UniteLive has now learned that the prevalence of sexual harassment in the food, drink and agriculture (FDA) sector is among the highest of all sectors.

The survey found an astonishing third of women working in the sector have been sexually assaulted at work. It also found a strong majority – 57 per cent – had been the recipient of sexually offensive jokes, with 53 per cent having experienced unwanted flirting, gesturing or sexual remarks.

Nearly half of those surveyed in the sector reported they’d been inappropriately touched, while nearly a third had been shared or shown pornographic images by a manager, colleague or third party.

Almost one in 10 had been a victim of workplace sexual coercion – when a person pressures, tricks, threatens, or manipulates someone into engaging in sexual activity without genuine consent.

“Even in the 21st century, it is still seen as acceptable for males to sexually harass females in the workplace,” one respondent shared. “I feel unable to report it as I believe it will affect my career as I’ll be marked as a troublemaker.”

Another respondent said she’d been personally harassed on ‘several occasions’ by two male colleagues.  

“The reason I couldn’t report it was they both had been pulled in for [other incidents] – one for sending explicit photos and the other for kissing a customer which was on CCTV. Neither got reprimanded, just told not to do it again.”

This experience was reflected in the wider figures. The survey found 44 cent have been sexually harassed more than twice, while 41 per cent had experienced it more than once. 

But almost three quarters – 74 per cent of respondents – did not report these incidents. And until there’s better support, who can blame them?

After all, many women said they either had to carry on working with abusers after reporting incidents or were even forced out of their own job roles. 

One respondent said, “I reported disgusting behaviour and sexual comments from contractors which I had put up with for over two years, and nothing was ever done about it. 

“I refused to work with them in the end and they were still given work for over 12 months afterwards until another female colleague reported them, and then action was finally taken,” she added. 

The findings reinforce the need for stronger workplace protections, effective reporting mechanisms and collective action to ensure women feel safe coming forward.

As entrenched as the problem of workplace sexual harassment is, Unite members are increasingly speaking out about their experiences, and Unite is determined to tackle the problem head-on.

The survey was published last year as part of Unite’s Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment campaign.

Some of the measures it’s calling for include the introduction of a standalone sexual harassment policy; mandatory training on sexual harassment for all employees; and a commitment to recognise union equality representatives with paid time off.

The campaign is also lobbying for the deadline for lodging a claim in an employment tribunal to be extended from three months after the incident occurred to six months.

Unite is calling on the government to put in extra legal protections, such as classifying third party harassment and sexual harassment as a workplace injury by the Health and Safety Executive. 

Commenting on the survey, Unite national officer Paul Travers said, “No woman should go to work only to suffer harassment and urgent change is needed in the sector. We will fight every step of the way to ensure Unite’s campaign demands become a reality.”

Meanwhile, Unite national women’s officer Alison Spencer-Scragg highlighted that the Worker Protection Act, which came into effect last October, is simply not fit for purpose. 

The Act legally obliges employers to take measures to prevent sexual harassment from happening in the workplace and at work events such as conferences, Alison explained. 

“But the Worker Protection Act has not gone far enough in keeping women who work in the FDA sector safe from sexual harassment at their workplace,” she said.

“Employers are not taking their obligations seriously despite the fact it is the law,” Alison added.

“This is creating a culture where sexual harassment is going unreported, while those who do take the issues forward are left feeling disbelieved, forced to work with abusers and even losing their roles.

“Unite is calling on the government to take our demands seriously to stamp out sexual harassment in FDA firms and workplaces,” Alison continued.

“By working together through their union, workers are making clear that harassment cannot be accepted as part of working life and that meaningful change is both necessary and achievable.”

While the survey paints a stark picture of the experiences many women face, it has also provided a powerful platform for workers to have their voices heard.

Unite says the findings will strengthen its campaign for safer workplaces and help drive collective efforts to ensure harassment is challenged wherever it occurs.

By Hajera Blagg

FIND OUT MORE

You can find more information about Unite’s zero tolerance to sexual harassment campaign here: bit.ly/40hZAtk

This article first appeared in the latest edition of Landworker, Summer 2026, which you can read here.