Elle était très extravertie: Harcèlement sexuel et bienséance féminine: Le secteur des nouvelles technologies en inde

The Indian information technology industry is popularly believed to be a very hospitable employer for women. It is known for fairly progressive policies intended to include and retain women in its workforce and its strong stand against sex discrimination and harassment. However, in spite of written policies and procedures, cases of sexual harassment do occur and require investigation. This article explores women's experiences of sexual harassment in the Indian information technology industry, juxtaposing these with managerial responses to harassment complaints. Using qualitative research it investigates how cultural ideals of Indian womanhood and prevalent norms of regarding women's behaviour in public spaces can influence managements attitudes to sexual harassment. Moreover, while few women can avoid being re-inscribed into gendered positions or being subjected to one form of gendered hostility or another, women in the management track have very different experiences of harassment from those in non-managerial positions. This difference in experience can influence responses to harassment complaints. The article concludes that while written policies and procedures may constitute a vital step towards creating a conducive work environment for women, they may not always be successful in protecting women from sexual harassment or from mitigating the influence of an andro-centric culture in the management's or recipient's response to sexual harassment.