Lorraine Williamson
Andalucia’s healthcare workforce is facing a disturbing reality: inappropriate behaviour has become so commonplace that many professionals no longer recognise it as harassment. A new survey by SATSE, Spain’s biggest nursing and physiotherapy union, lays bare the scale of the problem. More than half of respondents say they have endured unwanted sexual or sex-related behaviour at work in recent years, suggesting a systemic issue rather than a handful of isolated episodes.
The findings land at a moment when conversations around gender-based violence, respect in the workplace and the safety of frontline staff are gaining urgency across Spain.
Everyday sexism still embedded in the job
The most frequent incidents described by nurses involve comments, jokes or insinuations with a sexist undertone. These remarks, often dismissed as “banter”, are experienced by the majority of female staff who took part in the survey. Almost a third say colleagues or patients have deliberately invaded their personal space, while others report physical contact without consent—hands on waists, “friendly” hugs, or unnecessary touching during routine interactions.
For more than one in ten, the behaviour escalated into overt propositions or sexual advances, underscoring just how blurred boundaries can become in a sector built on physical proximity and care.
Why so few speak out
Despite the severity of what many endure, formal complaints are rare. According to SATSE, 87% of those affected never filed a report. The reasons vary: uncertainty about procedures, fear of retaliation, a belief that nothing will change, or simply a lack of training on how to recognise and report harassment.
Some nurses said they were never told how to escalate concerns. Others admitted they had normalised the behaviour because it had become “part of the job”. This silence, SATSE argues, reinforces a cycle where victims feel isolated and perpetrators rarely face consequences.
A structural, not personal, failure
Harassment in healthcare does not happen in a vacuum. SATSE points to long-standing gender roles, power imbalances and the intimate nature of clinical work as factors that make this environment uniquely vulnerable. Women represent the majority of nursing and physiotherapy staff, yet often hold less institutional power than the individuals—patients, relatives, senior consultants—who behave inappropriately.
The union stresses that this is not a problem of individual “bad actors”, but a structural failure that demands structural solutions.
Union calls for zero-tolerance measures
SATSE is pushing for stronger protections and a cultural shift across Andalucia’s public and private healthcare networks. Among its recommendations are:
Clear reporting protocols accessible to all staff
Mandatory training on recognising and preventing harassment
Awareness campaigns targeting both workers and the public
Psychological and legal support for those affected
Formal recognition of sexual violence as a psychosocial workplace risk
The union argues that without institutional backing, professionals will continue to shoulder the burden alone.
New campaign aims to break the silence
The survey results were released just ahead of SATSE’s new awareness campaign, “Sí que pasa; es acoso” (“It does happen; it is harassment”), launched around the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The initiative aligns with wider UN efforts calling for investment in preventing violence against women and girls.
By placing harassment in healthcare within the broader fight against gender-based violence, SATSE hopes to shift public perception and push employers to act decisively.
Shortage of nurses in Spain
What this means for healthcare workers
As Andalucia faces ongoing staff shortages and increased pressure on hospitals, the emotional and psychological toll of harassment adds yet another layer of strain on a workforce already stretched thin. The union warns that without systemic reform, morale, retention and patient care could all suffer.
Healthcare professionals now look to regional authorities and hospital management teams for meaningful action—not just statements.
Source: Diario de Sevilla