Women's Rights Employment Law Blog

The sensations attributed to cases of sexual harassment often foster media to judge the women. However it leaves out the issues of intersections of different social locations. Women facing discrimination are more often than not victims because of their subordinate economic status in the hierarchy as well.

One glaring case which has come to light today pertains to 10 women of Davenport. These women belonged to lower economic class, and did not have much housing options. The landlord John Burche coerced sexual favors from them in exchange of reduced rent. A federal district court judge has decided $327,000 in favor of the women. That’s the heartening news.

But that’s still like dealing with the event. The system that perpetuates plights of lower economic class women is not being addressed. This is not incidental that the women happened to be at a juncture where they could be thus exploited. The court has correctly diagnosed that reduced rent is not a quids pro quo for sexual favor for landlord.