As International Women’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking about some of the challenges facing women today. Sadly, many of these issues are the same ones we’ve been facing for centuries. Yes, there’s been progress, especially in the first world, but some of the most pressing problems aren’t going away any time soon.

Many of us here in Canada were shocked and dismayed upon hearing the news that the revered theologian, Jean Vanier, has been accused of taking advantage of his position of trust and sexually abusing six women with whom he’d worked.

He’s just one of the many men who’ve been accused, charged, and found guilty for sexually abusing women in positions of less power than they themselves held.

At the same time as we were hearing the shocking news about Mr. Vanier, former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault at his Manhattan criminal trial. An LA trial is still pending.

The women speaking out about Mr. Weinstein and those who broke the story were responsible for the creation of the #MeToo movement, which has emboldened many women to come forward and speak their truth about sexual misconduct by the men they’ve worked with.

In Canada, sexual harassment in the workplace is sadly, not uncommon. For many women everywhere who are sexually assaulted, harassed or abused in the workplace, justice is not provided for them. In many previous articles, I’ve written about how powerful men will go to any lengths to silence, discredit or punish the women who accuse these men of sexual misconduct.

I’ve also spoken to many women who’ve experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and these women shared how, even after the #MeToo movement was established, they had little or no recourse if a man in a position of power was the perpetrator.

Many businesses at best, pay lip-service to the #MeToo movement. They might have policies on paper but often, these policies aren’t enacted in real life.

If you’ve been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you might be well aware of the degree to which your workplace is willing to support you. Perhaps you’ve tried to speak to someone and were shut down.

I know of women who’ve been transferred, demoted or fired for speaking up. Some chose to pursue their case with an employment lawyer, but many women aren’t in a position to spend the money or the time on such a complaint, or they’re unwilling to risk what it could do to their professional reputation if they were to bring such an allegation forward.

So, what should a woman do if she’s being sexually harassed by a powerful man in her workplace? I have six suggestions. None of these are written in stone but rather, they’re ideas that might be helpful to you.

1. Set up a support system:

First and foremost, I’d suggest that every woman start by establishing a support system at work. Cultivate some positive working relationships with other women; especially those in positions of authority who can be counted on in difficult times.

If you have a strong support system, it’s more likely that there will be people who’ll believe you and be willing to go to bat for you in a “he said, she said” scenario.

As well, if you share your concerns with your workplace support system before taking the problem to HR, their backing and their experience will help you to navigate the process.

2. Face the truth about what’s happening:

It’s common for women to minimize instances of sexual harassment. This comes from a psychological defense mechanism against confronting an ugly truth about a person who you previously respected or admired. Still, it’s necessary to face even the most unpleasant truths in order to become empowered to deal with your situation.

3. Don’t blame yourself:

Psychologically, when traumatic things happen to us, we regress into a child-like mentality. As a result, it’s common to blame ourselves for the bad things happening to us, even when we’ve done nothing whatsoever to deserve them.

It’s essential that we fight this urge toward self-blame and remember that no matter what, the other person is responsible for their choices and if they’re choosing to sexually harass us, it’s all on them.

4. Be strategic:

Here’s where having a support system at work can really pay off. Talk to your trusted colleagues about what’s happening. You’ll learn about the culture of the workplace and discover how prudent (or not) it would be to bring a complaint to your supervisors or to HR. Perhaps other colleagues in your support system have been harassed by the same person and you can launch a group complaint against the perpetrator. That should have more impact than a solo complaint.

Whatever you decide, having people around you who believe you, care about you and want the best for you will make it much easier to cope.

5. Get psychological help:

It’s incredibly stressful to experience sexual harassment on the job. A trained professional can help you deal emotionally with people in positions of authority refuse to believe you or who try to discredit you or penalize you for coming forward.

Also, your counselor or therapist can help you make important decisions, like how to act in your own best interest at work; whether, when or how to make a complaint, or if you need to start looking for another job.

6. Consider moving on:

You may need to arrange with HR to leave quietly provided you’re given a glowing reference. This might sound like a bad deal, but depending on how toxic your workplace is, it might be the best, most strategic plan you can arrive at.

It’s sad, frustrating and maddening that the culture of misogyny is alive and thriving in many workplaces. The last thing any woman wants to deal with at work is being sexually harassed (or worse) by a powerful man. Unfortunately, we can’t yet control this reality. I’m hoping that the above tips can help you through, if – or when – it happens to you.

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