EU report shows online sexual harassment often invisible to employers

Author Moonshot.news

Published on: 12/05/2025

7 % of women experience sexual harassment through social media messaging apps, rising to 13.5% for women in the age group 18 to 29. Its effects are no less damaging than harassment in person for it often being invisible to employers and colleagues, a report from European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) shows. The report is published in May, which is EU’s Diversity Month.  

“The biggest EU-wide survey on violence against women, from Eurostat, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and EIGE, capturing the lived experiences of almost 115,000 women, shows that 31% of working women have experienced sexual harassment at work, rising alarmingly to 42% among young women aged 18 to 29.”

Sexual harassment is not just a workplace issue; it is a human rights violation, says Sirpa Rautio, Director of FRA that ran the first-ever EU wide violence against women survey in 2014.

“More than a decade ago, sexual harassment was already a widespread reality for women in the workplace. Especially for those in management and young women starting their careers. Yet, the latest EU data show little has changed,” she says.

“Sexual harassment rarely exists in isolation. For many women, it overlaps with other forms of violence — from domestic abuse to cyberviolence — reinforcing cycles of fear, shame, silence and harm,” says Carlien Scheele, Director of EIGE.

“The consequences are lasting and far-reaching, damaging mental health, derailing careers and undermining gender equality at its core.”

Eurostat, FRA and EIGE’s joint work with and on the EU Gender Based Violence Survey shows the scale of violence against women, of which workplace sexual harassment is a significant part, the report says.

“Work-related psychosocial risks, including sexual harassment, put a huge financial burden on the European Union as a whole, including lost workdays, healthcare and other indirect costs.”

In 2013, a European Commission report estimated these costs at €617 billion a year in the EU, including €273 billion due to absenteeism and presenteeism, and €242 billion from lost productivity.

“Preventing harassment requires more than just policy, it demands leadership and commitment to cultural change in the workplace”, the report says.

Practical measures businesses are encouraged to implement include:

• – Zero-tolerance policies actively supported by management.
• -Regular training for all staff and specific guidance for supervisors.
• – Confidential counselling services and independent grievance committees.
• – Clear procedures to report incidents without fear of retaliation.
• – Updates to workplace policies to also tackle online harassment, such as trolling, sexting or cyberstalking.

“Management and HR teams should take the lead. Enforce robust policies and foster a respectful, inclusive culture where dignity at work is non-negotiable.”