WORLD Policy Analysis Center

What sexual behaviors are legally defined as sexual harassment?

Quid pro quo refers to conduct based on gender or unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature—where rejection of or submission to such conduct is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for decisions that impact that person’s job

Conduct that creates a hostile work environment refers to behaviors that—while not necessarily targeted at an individual—create conditions at the workplace that undermine workers’ dignity. Behaviors that create a hostile work environment may include unwelcome or humiliating jokes or comments of a sexual nature, or portrayal of offensive sexually-explicit materials.

No prohibition indicates that legislation does not specifically prohibit sexual harassment at the workplace, nor does it prohibit sexual harassment perpetrated by a person in a position of authority. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

Only narrowly defined means sexual harassment provisions do not broadly cover any form of sexual advance. For example, legislation may only prohibit sexual touching.

Sexual harassment is not defined means legislation explicitly prohibits sexual harassment, but a definition or description of specific prohibited sexual behaviors does not accompany the prohibition.

Countries

Angola - No prohibition

Antigua and Barbuda - No prohibition

Belarus - No prohibition

Botswana - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Canada - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Cuba - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

The Gambia - No prohibition

Ghana - No prohibition

Grenada - No prohibition

Guatemala - No prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - No prohibition

Haiti - No prohibition

Indonesia - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Jamaica - No prohibition

Japan - No prohibition

Jordan - No prohibition

Kazakhstan - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Mali - No prohibition

Mauritania - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

Oman - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Qatar - No prohibition

Russian Federation - No prohibition

Samoa - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

Seychelles - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

Somalia - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Suriname - No prohibition

Eswatini - No prohibition

Syria - No prohibition

Tajikistan - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - No prohibition

Turkmenistan - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Yemen - No prohibition

Eritrea - Only narrowly defined

Papua New Guinea - Only narrowly defined

Algeria - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Bahamas - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Benin - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Brazil - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Cameroon - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Central African Republic - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

China - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Egypt - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Equatorial Guinea - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Ethiopia - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Mozambique - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Namibia - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Nepal - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Nicaragua - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Paraguay - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Senegal - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Singapore - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Sri Lanka - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Tanzania - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

United Arab Emirates - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Vietnam - Quid pro quo or unwanted sexual advances only

Afghanistan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Albania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Andorra - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Armenia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Australia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Austria - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Azerbaijan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Barbados - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Belgium - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Belize - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Bhutan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Bulgaria - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Burkina Faso - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Burundi - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Cabo Verde - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Chad - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Chile - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Colombia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Comoros - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Costa Rica - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Cote d'Ivoire - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Croatia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Cyprus - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Czech Republic - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Denmark - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Djibouti - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Ecuador - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Estonia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Fiji - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Finland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

France - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Gabon - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Georgia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Germany - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Greece - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Greenland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Guinea - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Guyana - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Hungary - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Iceland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

India - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Iraq - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Ireland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Israel - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Italy - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Kenya - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Kiribati - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Republic of Korea - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Kyrgyzstan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Laos - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Latvia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Lebanon - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Lesotho - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Liberia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Liechtenstein - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Lithuania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Luxembourg - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

North Macedonia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Madagascar - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Malawi - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Malaysia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Maldives - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Malta - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Marshall Islands - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Mauritius - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Mexico - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Moldova - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Monaco - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Mongolia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Montenegro - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

The Netherlands - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

New Zealand - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Niger - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Norway - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Pakistan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Panama - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Peru - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

The Philippines - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Poland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Portugal - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Romania - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Sao Tome and Principe - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Saudi Arabia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Serbia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Slovakia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Slovenia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

South Sudan - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Spain - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

St. Lucia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Sweden - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Switzerland - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Timor-Leste - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Togo - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Tunisia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Tuvalu - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Uganda - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Ukraine - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

United Kingdom - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

United States of America - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Uruguay - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Venezuela - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Zambia - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Zimbabwe - Quid pro quo and conduct that creates a hostile work environment

Argentina - Sexual harassment is not defined

Bahrain - Sexual harassment is not defined

Bangladesh - Sexual harassment is not defined

Bolivia - Sexual harassment is not defined

Cambodia - Sexual harassment is not defined

Dominican Republic - Sexual harassment is not defined

El Salvador - Sexual harassment is not defined

Honduras - Sexual harassment is not defined

Libya - Sexual harassment is not defined

Morocco - Sexual harassment is not defined

Rwanda - Sexual harassment is not defined

South Africa - Sexual harassment is not defined

Thailand - Sexual harassment is not defined

Türkiye - Sexual harassment is not defined

Uzbekistan - Sexual harassment is not defined