Sexual harassment will only change if men engage

Men need to stand up if workplaces are to reduce the high rates of sexual assault in Australia.

By Jordaine Chattaway

Men need to stand up if workplaces are to reduce the high rates of sexual assault in Australia.

By Jordaine Chattaway

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Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins has warned men must take a lead to stop the ‘masculine’ jokes and stop being bystanders to behaviours which are unacceptable.

Commissioner Jenkins made the remarks on the back of a recently completed national inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces in 2018. The survey of 10,000 people revealed 1-in-3 Australian employees had experienced sexual harassment in the past five years – up from one-in-five when the survey was last conducted in 2012 and a significant increase from 2003 when the figure sat at just 1 in 10.

Access the full Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020) here