Why India Today Sex Survey 2018 focus is on Indians having sex at workplace
The year 2017 was one when women were enraged. As stories emerged of powerful men exploiting positions of authority to prey on women sexually, #MeToo and #TimesUp articulated the anger women were feeling. From US President Donald Trump’s “locker room” chat with TV host Billy Bush to explosive revelations about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, women seethed at having had to tolerate abusive behaviour for so long.
In India, too, there were cases of men of power and prestige abusing the trust of women who worked for or with them, creating an atmosphere of heightened tensions in the workplace.
Against this backdrop, it was only natural that India Today commissioned a survey on sex at the workplace, its prevalence and dynamics and what people think about it (we asked 25 questions to 2,500 people, an equal number of men and women across 19 cities).
The results are in, and while it appears that sex at the workplace happens, there is a lot of ambivalence about it. The relationship between men and women is complicated enough in contemporary society. At the workplace, given the added pressure of deadlines, promotions and the salary gap, it is even more so.
When does a relationship between colleagues cross the line from consensual to coerced? What exactly constitutes sexual harassment? Does it span the spectrum from a glance to a gesture? What impact have more stringent laws had on gender equations?
Among the many revelations of this survey, we found sexual relationships between bosses and subordinates are increasingly being called the “most dangerous workplace activity” by HR professionals, because of the power disparity involved.
Of the 33 per cent men who have had sex with colleagues, 57 per cent were involved with subordinates. Of the 22 per cent women who have had sex with coworkers, 61 per cent had an affair with the boss.
This is the 16th edition of the annual sex survey, and over the years we have mapped the changing sexual behaviour of urban Indians. The surveys have examined a range of attitudes since 2003, of women and men, married or single, at work or on campus, teenagers to 40-somethings, in small towns or in metros.
Statistics have indicated a steady transformation from the cautious conservatism of the early 2000s to a happier acknowledgement of pleasure now.
The special issue has been put together by executive editor Damayanti Datta, who is a veteran of the annual sex survey now, having anchored seven so far. In the next few pages, you will read the views of experts from various fields: sociologist Anagha Sarpotdar on consent versus harassment, lawyer Rebecca John on predators at the workplace, and entrepreneur Sairee Chahal on gender stereotyping at the workplace.
Organisational behaviour consultant Nanda Majumdar shows how men and women perceive the workplace differently, while psychiatrists Dr Pratima Murthy and Dr Alok Sarin analyse the motivations of men and women.
According to Datta, the surprising thing about this survey was the amount of sex going on in Indian workplaces. At this rate, she says, she expects a lot more harassment cases to come up, and many more heads to roll. Most surprising, however, she says, are the young metros: the “work spouses” of Pune, the sex-at-office-during-work-hours ethos of Guwahati and the nothing-less-than-three-affairs-at-the-workplace attitude of Ahmedabad.
Beyond the data, the story it tells of urban India is this: at a time of a creeping conservatism being imposed by self-appointed guardians of public morality, where buses are being burnt because of a woman’s bare midriff onscreen, there is another reality where sexual experimentation is alive and well. Bedrooms have certainly become more democratic.
It remains to be seen what happens to the boardrooms.
India Today Editor-in-Chief's note for cover story, Sex at Work; March 12, 2018.)