Women executives and their struggle with sexual harassment: A multiple case study

Abstract

Objectives This exploratory study is aimed at discovering Filipina women executives’ personal experience with sexual harassment. Methods This is a multiple case study with a qualitative approach. With non-probability convenience sampling, we selected five women executives from the capital region of the Philippines for in-depth interviews. For data analysis, we used a thematic analysis method. Results The four types of sexual harassment – physical, verbal, cyber, and non-verbal – were all evident in our study. One major theme found through the cross-case synthesis was the calling for proactive actions. Conclusion Filipina women executives have personal experience with all types of sexual harassment. Neither their inner drive for excellence nor their exceptional career achievements prevent sexual harassment from happening to them and around them. Thus, women executives call for sufficient and effective sexual harassment prevention education programs. Keywords Women executives, multiple case study, gender equality, the Philippines, sexual harassment prevention education