Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment Effects on Women in Liberia’s Public Sector
Gbelly Arrington Johnson, PhD Candidate; Dr. Steven A. Matarelli, PhD

Abstract
Despite progress towards gender equality, women continue to be impacted by quid quo pro sexual harassment in employment. This study explored women’s lived experiences of quid pro quo sexual harassment in Liberia’s public sector. In-depth semi-structured interviews using Zoom were conducted with 13 working women aged 18 years and older who self-reported as victims of quid pro quo sexual harassment in Liberia’s public workplaces. Interview data were analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore their lived experiences. Analysis of the data produced six themes: impediment of women’s career prospects, undermining of women’s job credibility, reinforcement of women’s dependence on men, discouragement of academic pursuits, encouragement of workplace promiscuity, and impact on women’s mental health. These themes show that quid pro quo sexual harassment harm women’s sustained employability. The implications for social change include providing data that could serve as a roadmap to facilitate effective anti-sexual harassment policies in Liberia to support the ever-present push for improved equality for Liberian women from newly reported perspectives.

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