Marlene Molero Suárez

Awareness alone does not eliminate workplace sexual harassment

Despite increasing awareness of workplace sexual harassment, the problem remains serious for one in three Latin American workers, especially women. Yet only one percent file a claim with their employer. Of those who don’t, 80 percent cite fear of retaliation and negative peer perception. In addition, sexual harassment can cost a Fortune 500 company as much as US$6 million annually, according to the International Center for Research on Women.

“There are social movements worldwide like MeToo,” says ELSA founder and lawyer Marlene Molero. “But despite that, organizations hear about very few cases—which makes them believe it’s not a problem within their organization. People are afraid to make a claim.”

Better data leads to better prevention strategies

Marlene never intended to start a software company. She was drawn to address the problem after witnessing many cases of sexual harassment victims silenced by fear.

“I was working full-time on this topic and I saw the victims' fear up close,” she says. “There was nothing we could really do—not to eliminate the fear, because the fear was real—but to give them a solution that could actually work for them.”

She created a spreadsheet to track and analyze harassment, which evolved into the sophisticated software platform that became ELSA. “Why would you wait for someone who is experiencing harassment to say something? Instead, we look for the information about what is going on that will allow organizations to prevent it.”

Today, the platform collects data from employees to create strategies specific to each organization and also offers online training and a complaint management system. ELSA is the only solution specializing in sexual harassment that addresses it from a prevention and victim support perspective.

ELSA gives harassment victims in Latin America a voice

ELSA is built around replicable international standards to address workplace sexual harassment globally. Between 2021 and 2023, its products touched the lives of approximately 500,000 employees, reducing the incidence of sexual harassment by 60 percent for ELSA’s more than 100 customers in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

“We have changed the narrative,” Marlene says. “Companies used to sweep sexual harassment under the carpet, but now they are proud to say they are addressing it.”