We call on State, Territory and Federal Governments across Australia to take urgent and coordinated action to implement the following solutions.
We are a group of diverse organisations, unions, researchers, peak bodies, health professionals and lawyers who have witnessed the effects of sexual harassment on individuals around Australia every day and say that we need to do more to ensure our systems respond to these issues.
Yet the rates of sexual harassment in Australia are alarming, particularly for women, with 85% having experienced it in their lifetime. Sexual harassment is about more than just individual behaviour. It is a problem that is deeply entrenched within our society and occurs because gender inequality is ingrained in our social and cultural norms, structures, and practices.
Our current laws are ‘simply no longer fit for purpose’ and should require employers to take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment. Sexual harassment causes significant harm to individuals, workplaces, and society.
We know what the solutions are, but we need governments and employers to implement them. We need strong action to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, and we need it now.
New laws need to be implemented to help create gender-equal and inclusive workplaces that are safe, respectful, and equitable for everyone.
Make substantive equality one of the objects of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).
Amend the Sex Discrimination Act to prohibit the creation of a hostile, sexist working environment.
Create a positive duty for all employers to take reasonable and proportionate steps to stop sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
Create new compliance and investigation powers for the Australian Human Rights Commission to enforce the positive duty.
Create a new inquiry power for the Sex Discrimination Commissioner to investigate systemic sexual harassment.
Implement a new process to allow representative bodies to bring actions to court on behalf of people who have been sexually harassed.
Create an express prohibition on sexual harassment and an accessible new complaints process in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
Create a new Work Health and Safety Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment at Work.
We’re calling on governments across Australia to take urgent and coordinated action to prevent sexual harassment.
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