Power Plays definition of sexist harassment:

Any act, visual representation, speech or writing or behavior and practice that demeans, offends, or creates hostility to a person because of their gender or sexuality

• which includes unwanted sexual attention or sexual violence

• with the purpose or consequence that the person's dignity or rights are violated/exceeded

• with physical, sexual, psychological, or socio-economic damage/suffering as a result

• and which create a toxic work environment and/or reproduce gender stereotypes

(Freely adapted from Einersen et al. 2021).

The Power Plays toolbox consists of two separate methods – Power Plays memory workshop and Forum Power Plays - which both have an actual and effective impact on the prevention of sexist harassment and the promotion of safe and sustainable organizational cultures in workplaces of care.

POWER PLAYS MEMORY WORKSHOP
Memory work (erinnerungsarbeit) is a feminist method developed by German Marxist theorist and activist Frigga Haug. Memory work employs critical, collective reflections to elaborate individual memories as a way to achieve knowledge about social power structures, and to identify ways of thinking and acting differently in everyday life.

The Power Plays memory workshop is a focused method for immediate social change. It is developed by Danish social scientist and feminist researcher Jo Krøjer with inspiration from Frigga Haug.

FORUM POWER PLAYS
The Forum Power Plays is inspired by the forum theatre method, developed by the Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal (1931 – 2009) and later developed by Birgitte Woge Nielsen and the Power Plays research team. The adapted Forum Power Plays method uses a participatory drama technique to engage workplace participants to confront workplace sexist harassment. With this method, Forum Power Plays participants get the opportunity individually as well as collectively to analyze and reflect upon re-played situations of workplace sexist harassment. Based on collective analysis, the participants (actors and spect-actors) are invited to find and try out different solutions to the conflict of sexist harassment in the situations played.

Sexist harassment in work life and especially at workplaces of care is a serious problem that affect far too many. However, it is also a hidden problem, as the victims of sexual harassment often choose to not talk about it or when they do, feel that they are not being taken seriously, or are being hushed upon. The silence of sexist harassment can lead to psychological problems, that people are quitting their jobs, and not least a normalization of sexist harassment as a natural part of the job.

• Are you a manager at a workplace? then you have the responsibility and the power to take measures to prevent sexist harassment from happening.

• Are you an employee who has experienced inappropriate behavior at your workplace?

• Are you a union representative looking for concrete preventive methods to improve your working environment?

Use the Power Plays methods to explore how your workplace and your staff/colleagues experience sexist harassment in your/their daily work life and find solutions to improve the workplace culture!

Everyone!

The Power Plays Toolbox is applicable to all workplaces, and you do not need specific skills or knowledge to participate in or to facilitate the workshops. However, the workshop leader needs to be well prepared and thoroughly read through the manuals before the workshop. It is also important that the participants trust the workshop leader and feel safe around him/her/them. Consider who is best suited to be the workshop leader at your workplace.

Note that the current plays are mostly oriented towards workplaces of care.

The Power Plays memory workshop and The Forum Power Plays can be used separately but also work very well in combination for maximum effect.

Follow our very easy guidelines in the two manuals!