In the past few years, cases of sexual harassment being denounced increased in Brazil. However, since the country is in the midst of an economic crisis in which unemployment rates soared, the amount of claims stagnated.

Several campaigns have been held to encourage victims of harassment to speak up and important results have been observed: according to Folha de São Paulo, in 2015, 250 cases were registered, whereas in 2012 only 146 cases had been reported.

Nonetheless, in 2015 dismissals outran the number of hirings in Brazil in 1.5 million. In 2016, this number was also high - 1.3 million job vacancies were lost, according to CAGED, the government database of employed and unemployed people in the country.

As unemployment rates increased - and employees started to fear for their jobs -, the number of sexual harassment reports stagnated, and in 2016 it was slightly lower than in 2015: 248 vs 250. It is still too soon to find a direct correlation between these numbers, but the fact of the matter is that, in the period analyzed, unemployment went up and reports stagnated. Is there an actual chance sexual harassments is less frequent now?

The term "sexual harassment" is only applicable in Brazil if the facts take place in work environment, as it is stated in its only entry in the Criminal Code. (Art. 216-A)

According to Ministry of Labour and Employment, there is no sector in which those numbers are particularly higher - which shows that it could affect anyone across the board.

Although they might not be categorized as "sexual harassment", there are plenty of other demeanors that are considered to be crimes, and they can be found under "Crimes Against Sexual Freedom".

If you have seen colleagues being victims of any kind of harassment - or if you have been one yourself -, please speak up. Do not keep it to yourself and do not try to protect your agressor, because "it was just a joke," or "because it happened only two or three times," or for any other reason. If you report the harassment, you will not only be protecting yourself, but also other people who might fall victim to your agressor. The competent authorities will give you the support you need.

These are the usually recommended steps:

Step zero - Gathering evidence
From the very first moment you realize you have been a victim of sexual harassment, start gathering proof - e-mails, weird messages, notes, recordings, eye-witnesses... the more, the better. You might need them for step three.

Step one - Shed some light on the problem
If the situation allows and you don't fear for your security, have an objective conversation with your agressor. Firmly express the behavior you do not approve and show you feel disrespected. If that does not change anything, proceed to step two.

Step two - Get the HR involved
Inform the HR - Human Resources - of your company about the problems you have been facing and let them know how that makes you feel, how that psychologically affects you and the work environment.

Step three - Go to the police
If the agressor does not stop and the company does not protect you, the problem is worse than anticipated. Go immediately to a nearby police station and report what has been going on. Explain the situation and, if you have gathered proof in Step Zero, even better. If you don't, do not wait; just go. We do understand it might not be very encouraging to do it, considering the stories we constantly hear from our colleagues and friends. More often than not we hear that they were not taken seriously and they end up not going through with the accusation. Do not give up, this kind of crime cannot go unpunished. We cannot let it happen anymore, it has been happening for way too long. Police should be trained to deal with the accusations - if it is applicable, go to a Women's Police Station ("Delegacia da Mulher"). Google will help you find the one closest to you.

A society that was starting to speak their minds cannot go back, regardless of the economic status of the country. Events like these are not to be overlooked and each one of us has to contribute for this behavior not to be acceptable or ignored.

If you feel you might be an agressor, you probably are. Stop it. Just stop it.

If you feel you are a victim, it is never too late to take action. Here is a link to the "Delegacia da Mulher" addresses in Brazil.