(Infographic: Australian Human Rights Commission)

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACES

Read WEL's submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Sexual Assault in Australian Workplaces or download a copy. 

Women have the right to enjoy success in their chosen career in any workplace.

Sexual harassment and assault of women in the workplace has been a norm for women for centuries, with habitual behaviours being ignored or tolerated. Women have lived in fear for their safety and their job security with many not trusting reporting systems within their workplace to protect them, despite sexual harassment being illegal since 1984.

There have been considerable improvements made across workplaces with rigorous policies and reporting mechanisms put into place and used by many women successfully calling out this behaviour by men. In more and more cases they have also achieved recognition and appropriate responses from employers. For too many this behaviour still exists in overt and subtle ways within an organisations culture, and it is still going unchecked.

Through the Tell WEL Survey we heard from woman across Australia about historical and current experiences of workplace sexual harassment and abuse. Responses informed our submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s EVERYONE’s Business Inquiry into Workplace Sexual Harassment.

This was the first Inquiry of its kind in the world, and is a direct result of the current #MeToo spotlight, and the commitment governments and civil society organisations have to eradicating these illegal behaviours from our workplaces.

Read WEL's Submission HERE.

Sexual harassment is defined in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 as any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favours or conduct of a sexual nature in relation to the person harassed in circumstances where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.