Most Australians who experience sexual harassment at work do not report it.
The majority of those who experience sexual harassment at work are women, while four-fifths of those who perpetrate the abuse are men, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission 2020 inquiry.
Sharmilla Bargon is an employment lawyer at Redfern Legal Centre. She told The Feed that gender equity is a key driver of sexual harassment, stating that gender equity issues are enabling sexual harassment to flourish in many Australian workplaces.
Ms Bargon said sexual harassment is more likely to happen in male-dominated industries including mining, construction and transport.
“Sexual harassment is an abuse of power,” Ms Bargon said.
In many cases, “nothing has happened against the perpetrator because they’re a senior member of staff, they’re meeting KPIs, so no action is taken against them.”
Read the full article here. (17 February 2021)
See also: #MeToo: Legal Responses to Sexual Harassment at Work
