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A quarter of Australian women say they have been sexually harassed at work Quarter of Australian women say they have been sexually harassed at work
(35 minutes later)
A quarter of Australian women have been sexually harassed in their workplace in the past five years, according to a report by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), released as the country is still coming to terms with the row sparked when the prime minister, Julia Gillard, accused the opposition leader of misogyny. A quarter of Australian women have been sexually harassed in their workplace in the past five years, according to a report released in the wake of a row sparked when the prime minister, Julia Gillard, accused the opposition leader of misogyny.
The report comes as an opinion poll showed Australians are split on whether they think Tony Abbott behaved in a sexist way towards Gillard. The report by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) comes as an opinion poll showed Australians were split on whether Tony Abbott, the opposition leader, had behaved in a sexist way towards Gillard.
The AHRC report, released by the sex discrimination commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, showed that sexual harassment in Australian workplaces is widespread and that progress on addressing it has stalled. "This research is conducted every four years and shows that little has changed," she said. "It shows that sexual harassment – an extreme form of sexism – is alive and well in Australian workplaces and we need to do something about it." The report showed that sexual harassment in workplaces was widespread and progress on addressing it had stalled. "This research is conducted every four years and shows that little has changed," said Elizabeth Broderick, Australia's sex discrimination commissioner. "It shows that sexual harassment – an extreme form of sexism – is alive and well in Australian workplaces and we need to do something about it."
As well as concluding that one in four women had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years, the AHRC report also showed 16% of men had been victims. Ninety per cent of the women said their harasser had been a man, with men constituting 79% of harassers overall. Only 20% of those who had been subjected to sexual harassment made a complaint (up from 16% in 2008) with almost half saying it stopped after they reported it. Nearly a third of those who said they had reported sexual harassment said doing so had a negative impact on them, including victimisation or demotion. As well as concluding that one in four women had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years, the AHRC report also showed 16% of men had been victims. Ninety per cent of the women said their harasser had been a man, with men constituting 79% of harassers overall.
Broderick says sexual harassment is part of a continuum that starts with demeaning attitudes about women and ends with sexual harassment, rape and gender-based violence. Twenty per cent of those subjected to sexual harassment made a complaint (up from 16% in 2008), with almost half of those saying it stopped after they reported it. Nearly a third of those who said they had reported sexual harassment said doing so had a negative impact on them, including victimisation or demotion.
"We need to take preventative steps early on, so when we hear demeaning views about women being expressed in the workplace, we shut those conversations down there and then," she said. "Australia is at a pivotal point. These issues are very much on the nation's agenda and the prime minister's speech no doubt made them more visible and potentially gave licence for others to tell their story." Broderick said sexual harassment was part of a continuum that started with demeaning attitudes about women and ended with rape and gender-based violence.
The report follows three weeks of intense political debate about sexism and misogyny in public life following Gillard's speech to parliament attacking the conservative opposition leader for, among other things, standing in front of signs depicting her as a "bitch" and "witch". "We need to take preventative steps early on, so when we hear demeaning views about women being expressed in the workplace we shut those conversations down there and then," Broderick said. "Australia is at a pivotal point. These issues are very much on the nation's agenda and the prime minister's speech no doubt made them more visible and potentially gave licence for others to tell their story."
A poll for Tuesday's Australian newspaper showed that 39% of people believed Abbott had behaved in a sexist way towards Gillard recently. Forty-five per cent said he had not. It echoed a Nielsen poll a week ago, which showed 42% of people believed Abbott was sexist. The poll also showed 78% believed Gillard's overall response to the sexism issue had been "about right". Only 16% thought she had overreacted. The report follows three weeks of debate about sexism and misogyny in public life after Gillard's speech to parliament attacking the conservative opposition leader for, among other things, standing in front of signs branding her a "bitch" and a "witch".
A poll for Tuesday's Australian newspaper showed that 39% of people believed Abbott had behaved in a sexist way towards Gillard recently, and 45% felt he had not. It echoed a Nielsen poll a week ago that showed 42% of people believed Abbott was sexist. The poll also showed 78% believed Gillard's overall response to the sexism issue had been "about right", and 16% thought she had overreacted.