MONTREAL -- Nearly one in three female writers has been the victim of harassment in Quebec's literary community, according to a survey unveiled on Tuesday by the Union des ecrivaines et des ecrivains quebecois (UNEQ). 

Nearly a quarter of the survey's 444 respondents said they had suffered, at least once, either repetitive inappropriate behaviour or a single instance of more troubling behaviour.

This rate rises to 32.8 per cent when it comes to women or people from gender minorities.

One in seven women or people from gender minorities said they have been inappropriately touched during a professional relationship, and more than one in five has been bullied. One in three has received humiliating comments.

According to UNEQ, these figures "unequivocally demonstrate the imbalance in the balance of power between the partners in the field, an imbalance which often leads to unacceptable behaviour and an intolerable omerta." 

UNEQ is denouncing the absence of recourse for the victims and the deprivation of part of their trade union rights.

"This data should alert us to the extent of a phenomenon kept secret for too long,'' said UNEQ president Suzanne Aubry in a news release.

A total of 59 per cent of those who say they've experienced abuse also mentionned that they did not try to speak to someone in charge of their company or organization because it was impossible -- or for fear of potential consequences.

UNEQ notes that the community is currently working to develop ways to prevent these situations. The director general of the organization, Laurent Dubois, believes, however, that it's also necessary to address the question of remedies, sanctions, support for victims, and restorative justice processes.

"The lack of collective agreements signed in the literary world deprives writers of grievance, arbitration and mediation mechanisms," he said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2020.