I Will Just Keep Walking and Be Silent: Women Jamu Entrepreneurs' Experiences of Sexual Harassment

• In Event: 598 - Section on Asia and Asian America Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Work, Labor, and Professions

Abstract

Sexual harassment is under-explored in gender entrepreneurship research. Most studies that make any mention of sexual harassment refer to it as a problem that women are escaping, by starting their own business and taking control of their work environment (Strier 2010). But what happens when women, who are self-employed, are sexually harassed? What coping behaviors do women entrepreneurs use? How does the cultural environment influence the behaviors of women entrepreneurs, when they encounter sexual harassment? Jamu, a traditional medicinal drink (made from local plant materials), is sold, mainly by women, in urban and rural areas in central Java, Indonesia. Based on feminist perspective, this study analyzes the personal accounts of jamu sellers who were harassed. Individual interviews were conducted with key informants and thirty jamu sellers within the city of Yogyakarta. Findings show that ten out of thirty jamu sellers have experienced sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is mentally distressing and can result in business losses. Jamu sellers must appear happy, or risk losing customers; it is believed that if the maker of a jamu drink is not mentally healthy, than her product cannot be effective. Appearing upset from harassment while at work, can therefore result in lost wages. Furthermore, sexual harassment discourages sellers to sell jamu in some areas of the city, resulting in a loss of business for neighborhoods as well. Understanding women entrepreneurs’ experiences with sexual harassment, and how they cope, is important because this can be a major constraint to business success and start up for women.

Author

• Carolyn Deborah Szuter, University of New Brunswick