News/Blog
Getting legal advice from our specialist sexual harassment solicitor
Every survivor will experience sexual harassment differently. And because of this, knowing what your rights are and finding out the legal steps you can take to protect yourself can feel daunting.
At the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre, we have a sexual harassment legal service specifically to support women in this situation. Our service is a safe and confidential space to speak to our specialist sexual harassment solicitor about the incidents you’ve experienced and find out how to use your rights.
As part of this service, we are now offering weekly legal surgery appointments with our specialist solicitor. These appointments take place remotely (by telephone or video call, depending on your preference) and are available to women aged 16 years and over.
Booking an appointment with our specialist solicitor
We want to make it easier for women to book an advice appointment with our sexual harassment solicitor. For this reason, we have created a new online booking system which you can access at any time.
All our appointments last 1 hour (or 2 hours if you need a language interpreter, which we can offer free of charge) and are available every Wednesday at 10am, 11am and 12pm.
To book an appointment, follow these steps:
- Visit our surgery booking page.
- Click on the calendar and select the next available Wednesday. If there is availability, a list of times will appear. Otherwise, please select another Wednesday.
- Fill out the rest of the form with your contact details and information about your case.
- Once you’re done, click “Continue” and your appointment will be booked.
Our legal advice surgeries are available to women aged 16 and over who have experienced sexual harassment at work, in college or university, online, or in the street.
Why get specialist legal advice?
After the #MeToo movement, there has been growing awareness of sexual harassment and its prevalence in society. And while the UN found that 71% of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment in a public space, the evidence shows that the majority of survivors chose not to report the abuse.
In our own experience, women have told us there are many reasons why they felt unable to or chose not to report incidents of sexual harassment. These included:
- They didn’t think it was serious enough to report at the time, especially in workplaces where that sort of behaviour was normalised.
- They didn't realise that there was anything they could do about it.
- They were too young at the time to understand that there was anything they could do.
- They were embarrassed or worried about not being believed.
- They were concerned it wouldn’t be taken seriously.
- They feared losing their job if they reported the incident.
Women told us they weren’t sure whether the abusive behaviour they experienced counted as sexual harassment. And many times they were unclear on their employer’s or university’s policies and what options were available to them.
How can speaking to our solicitor help?
Our specialist sexual harassment solicitor is here to support you by:
- Offering you a free and confidential appointment where you can safely discuss your situation.
- Helping you to understand the law and any related legal processes.
- Giving you information about your rights and the obligations your employer or university has.
- Describing your options clearly and explaining any other support that is available to you.
Sexual harassment support at the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre
There are different ways in which you can use our sexual harassment legal service:
- Call our legal helpline to get initial advice. The helpline is available on 08088 010 789 and you can see the opening times here.
- Book a surgery appointment with our sexual harassment solicitor. You can use our new online booking system or call our helpline to request an appointment.
- Apply for legal representation for court or tribunal proceedings, or if you need in-depth legal advice.
Support after your experience of sexual harassment
- Scotland’s National Rape Crisis Helpline offers emotional support for anyone affected by sexual harassment and any other form of sexual violence.
Call: 08088 01 03 02
(6pm to midnight)
Email: support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Text: 07537
410027
Webchat: open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (6pm - midnight) on their website.
- For other support, you can explore our list of support services here.