Sexual Harassment In Workplace

“I am not your dog that you whistle for; I’m not a stray animal you call over, and I am not, I never have been, nor will I ever be, your “baby”!”

Overview

In Australia, at least half of all women have been the victim of sexual harassment, abuse, or violence. This equates to 1 in 2 sexually harassed individuals, 1 in 3 physically abused individuals, and 1 in 5 sexually abused individuals. groundbreaking new survey has been launched that will help inform the country’s first national study looking into migrant and refugee women’s understanding and experiences of and responses to sexual harassment in the workplace.

1. What Is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Regardless of the profession they hold, sexual harassment is a widespread issue that affects all women worldwide. However, because the legal system is inactive, nothing is done to protect these women. Sexual harassment is used to remind women that they are inferior to males and is about male power over them. These male attitudes present the biggest obstacle to reducing sexual harassment in a society where violence against women is used as a demonstration of the patriarchal ideals at work.

2. Migrant And Refugee Women Experience
In Australia, there’s a pioneering research being conducted on the experiences of refugees and migrant women when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace. Researchers from Monash University have partnered with Harmony Alliance which is the National Women’s Alliance representing migrant and refugee women to conduct this national study funded by ANROWS.

The initiative comes more than two years after the Australian Human Rights Commission published its Respect@Work report, the end result of an 18-month investigation into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. The survey found that among numerous groups identified as having greater exposure to workplace sexual harassment were employees from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Nyadol Nyuon OAM, Chair of Harmony Alliance said, “It’s so important that we now understand the experiences of migrant and refugee women who we know are at a higher risk of sexual harassment at work so that we can develop the systemic and cultural responses that are needed to ensure their safety.”

The new study will “draw on the information that migrant and refugee women are more likely to be in insecure employment, i.e. non-permanent, casualised, or contract labour,” according to the project statement. Inadequate English skills, non-permanent status, bias and discrimination based on race, and different cultural standards can all raise the possibility of encountering workplace sexual harassment. In order to inform more targeted engagement with women and workplaces over undesirable workplace behaviour, the results will attempt to create a national picture of the experiences of a broad group of migrant and refugee women.

Conclusion
You should be able to feel comfortable in your place of work or learning. If you are being sexually harassed, you can report it to the authorities at your job or school irrespective of your background and gender.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual or domestic violence and is in need of support reach out to National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Service.