On Saturday (9/8), a NOBAR NOP#4 (Chill Together with Never Okay Project) event was held, a series of online discussions themed around sexual harassment in various industrial sectors. This fourth episode discusses sexual harassment in the Agency World. The speakers present at this NOBAR include Ayu Meutia Azevy, Senior Copywriter; Poppy R. Dihardjo, Account Management; Muhammad Fajar Nur from Never Okay Project and also Elsa Devita as the moderator. This NOBAR#4 specifically features Didi as a sign language interpreter.

The harsh reality faced by agency children is when sexual harassment is regarded as a work culture. Sexist jokes, for example, are the most common form of harassment that occurs in agencies, said Poppy, who is now a support group at Women Without Stigma. The word "joking" no longer has boundaries, especially in the realm of the workplace. Starting her career as an AE in an agency made Poppy understand the ins and outs of the game inside. She never imagined that a junior like her would be used to entice clients because of her beautiful appearance. 

“It didn't stop there, I used to be pranked, locked in the studio with creative kids and they joked with comments like 'there's something sweet here, should we undress her?' “ Poppy, who at that time worked at an advertising agency, revealed. Sexist jokes became normalized to the point of becoming a habit, until they forgot what general morality is.

Ayu added that sexual harassment in the agency world also extends to physical actions, such as slapping a woman's butt. This harassment is also considered normal just like the sexist jokes above. Clothing often creates stigma, and it frequently results in acts of rape. 

Harassed for Career

During the discussion, Poppy recalled when she once refused a client entry to her hotel room, and she was considered unfun. Even when she once accompanied a client to play golf, she was harassed by the client's friend. It is heartbreaking when victims are forced to be harassed just to maintain a career and the satisfaction of clients alone. Forgetting the essence of working and job seeking.

“The workplace is not just a place to earn money, but the workplace is that person's life, where a comfortable working environment is extremely needed,” said Fajar, observing that many workplaces seem mute regarding cases of sexual harassment.

Interns as Targets of Sexual Harassment

Interns are the most frequently victimized by sexual harassment in the agency world. Why is that? Interns are considered newcomers who will leave in 3 months, so verbal or nonverbal harassment seems not to be a big problem. Like the survey conducted by Never Okay Project, 57% of sexual harassment is carried out by peers and 56% by seniors. This data strongly supports how an individual's level of power is not necessarily as high as their awareness of sexual harassment.

The intern, or newcomers who initially entered the agency world to create, only becomes a target of sexual harassment from seniors. This is very unfortunate. When they want to report to HR, HR often fears the impact on the company's image might worsen more than the mental health of its human resources that might suffer. If this continues, the perpetrators will keep celebrating over the destruction of the victim's mental health.

Free to Express, Free from Sexual Harassment

A creative agency is a workplace filled with young people who have the freedom to express and create until that sense of freedom feels limitless. Often, daily conversation topics also turn into sexual harassments that have blended into daily snacks. As a writer, Ayu advises that everyone must dare to stand up for cases of sexual harassment. Although it may end with someone being called overly sensitive or teased, when someone works, it should be measured by their level of professionalism, not just by their power. 

Known as a world that is ‘free to express’, does this also mean that the agency is ‘free from sexual harassment?’ It should be so. Platforms for storytelling and education about sexual harassment must always accompany efforts, as done by Never Okay Project in supporting survivors who experience sexual harassment in various industrial sectors. 

Thus, every line of industry must be able to understand the importance of education and knowledge about sexual harassment. Never Okay Project is always willing to share knowledge about sexual harassment and to listen to or read the stories of survivors from various patterns of sexual harassment and backgrounds. Every story will serve as a lesson and a strengthening for everyone.