40 stories for 40 Years | Gender equality

In 2017, the global #MeToo movement sparked a cultural reckoning in Australia. Experiences that had long been minimised or dismissed were finally being acknowledged for what they were: violations of safety, dignity and equality. Sexual harassment would no longer be seen as an inevitable part of working life – it would be recognised as a human rights issue that demanded urgent national action. 

Amid this shift, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces in June 2018 by then Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins. This was the first inquiry of its kind in Australia. Over 18 months, hundreds of workers came forward from every industry, location and profession. Their accounts revealed a consistent truth: sexual harassment was everywhere - deeply entrenched, widespread and too often ignored. It could be found from offices, hospitality and retail, to mining, universities, the public services and even Parliament House. 

Released in March 2020, the Respect@Work report transformed these experiences into a blueprint for change. Its 55 recommendations called for reforms to laws, institutions, leadership and culture, shifting Australia from a reactive complaints-based system to one built on prevention. Rather than waiting for it to occur, employers would be required to take reasonable steps to stop sexual harassment before it happens. The report made one unmistakable point: harassment doesn’t fall evenly. Women experience it most, and the harm is often amplified by racism, disability, insecure jobs, age and other inequalities. It highlighted the fact that to achieve true gender equality, we must address harassment and the discrimination that fuels it. 

Momentum for reform grew rapidly. In 2021, changes to the Fair Work Act introduced stronger protections, including definitions of sexual harassment, ‘stop harassment’ orders and clearer grounds for dismissal. In 2022, the newly elected government committed to implementing all 55 Respect@Work recommendations - one of its earliest acts. Later that year, the Respect at Work Act introduced a new positive duty on employers to actively prevent sexual harassment and related misconduct. The Commission’s regulatory powers commenced in December 2023, supported by new guidance to help organisations meet their obligations. 

The completion of Respect@Work Recommendation 27 in June 2025 marked a major step forward in Australia’s efforts to prevent workplace sexual harassment. Led by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody, this work placed lived experience at the centre of reform by engaging directly with people who had experienced workplace sexual harassment across the country.  

Consultations were held across Australia with people who experienced sexual harassment at work. They shared what needed to change to make workplaces safer. The final report, Speaking from Experience, provided 11 recommendations which centred the experience of First Nations workers, culturally and racially marginalised workers, young workers, LGBTQIA+ workers, and workers with disability. 

These reforms have reshaped Australia’s approach to workplace safety. Employers now have a clear responsibility to identify and address the drivers of harassment - power imbalances, gender inequality, cultural norms and unsafe systems. The focus became preventing workplace sexual harassment rather than placing the burden on individuals to report it once it happened. Organisations across the country are embedding prevention into governance, leadership, risk management and day to day practice. Institutions have strengthened their ability to enforce rights and pursue systemic change, supported by new funding, oversight and regulatory tools. Cultural expectations have also shifted. Workers increasingly understand their rights. Leaders increasingly recognise their role. And most of all, Australia increasingly demands accountability.  

Respect@Work has changed Australia’s legal and cultural landscape, signalling a fundamental shift in how we understand safety, dignity and equality at work. As we mark 40 years of the Commission’s work, this project reflects the organisation’s longstanding commitment to championing safety, equality and human rights for everyone. It also stands as an example of how listening to lived experience, building evidence and working across government, industry and community can drive lasting national change.  

The reforms of recent years are not the end of the story, but the foundation for the work ahead. The task now is to continue that momentum - so that every workplace is safe, every worker is respected and every person’s human rights are upheld. 

For more, find the report here: Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces

In 2007, the Australian Human Rights Commission released It’s About Time: Women, Men, Work and Family, the result of a two-year national inquiry into how Australians balance work and caring responsibilities. The report built on earlier work, including the 2002 A Time to Value proposal for a national paid maternity leave scheme. The report highlighted that Australia had no paid maternity leave at the time and prompted some employers to introduce it themselves, even though the government did not adopt the recommendation. 

It’s About Time broadened Australia’s understanding of pregnancy discrimination and family responsibilities beyond maternity leave. Through consultations with workers, carers, unions, employers and community organisations, the Commission heard a consistent message: Australia’s social expectations – and workplaces - had not kept pace with the reality of modern families. Workers with caring responsibilities described being time poor and stretched across competing demands. Women’s increased participation in paid work had not shifted the unequal division of household and caring labour, leaving many carrying what amounted to two full workloads. Men reported long working hours that limited their ability to be active caregivers or take on domestic responsibilities, and many faced stigma or resistance when they tried to access carers leave or flexible work. 

The inquiry also exposed the gap between policy and lived experience. Even where family friendly policies existed, workers who used them risked career penalties or negative treatment. Cultural expectations and workplace norms meant that too often people - particularly women - felt they had to choose between work and care. The report recommended a federal Family Responsibilities and Carers’ Rights Act to provide clearer protections and entitlements. Although this specific reform was not introduced, the inquiry shaped the thinking that followed. 

In the years after its release, Australia embedded maternity leave as a human right through the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 and strengthened protections for unpaid leave and caring responsibilities under the Fair Work Act 2009. These reforms reflected a shift in national understanding: that pregnancy discrimination, unequal caring roles and inflexible workplaces are barriers to gender equality. 

As the Commission marks 40 years of protecting human rights, this early work continues to shape the way Australia talks about care, work and gender. It laid the groundwork for creating workplaces where pregnancy, parenting and caring are recognised and supported and not treated as a disadvantage.

Read the report here.

In 2011, following the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Academy ‘Skype scandal,’ the Minister for Defence commissioned six reviews into culture across Defence. Between 2011 and 2014, then Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick led two landmark examinations into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force. These reviews marked a turning point in the national understanding of how culture, leadership and structure shape safety, opportunity and equality within one of Australia’s most significant institutions. 

The 2012 Review into the Treatment of Women in the ADF expanded on the 2011 review into ADFA, moving beyond the academy to examine the broader institution. Through interviews, data analysis and on-base engagement, the review identified systemic barriers that limited women’s participation, safety and leadership progression. It also articulated 5 principles that became the backbone of its 21 recommendations:  

• strong leadership as the engine of reform  

• diversity as a source of capability 

• the need to increase opportunities alongside numbers 

• the importance of flexibility in strengthening the ADF  

• the recognition that gender-based harassment and violence harm individuals, undermine teams and damage operational effectiveness. 

The impact of this work was immediate and far reaching. Defence invited the Commission into an ongoing partnership to support cultural reform across the organisation. Formally established in 2014, the Defence Collaboration created a sustained mechanism for independent advice, accountability and progress monitoring. The partnership has since expanded beyond the military services to include Groups within the Department of Defence and inspired similar collaborations with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force. 

While cultural change in large institutions takes time, these partnerships represent commitment to change; long-term structural reform, greater transparency and safer, more inclusive environments for all Australians who serve.  

Read the report here.

In March 2021, in the wake of a national reckoning about sexism, sexual harassment and gender inequality, the Australian Government commissioned the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces. Led by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, the review sought to understand the extent of bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault in parliamentary workplaces, and to identify the reforms needed to ensure they are safe, respectful and aligned with best practice. 

The findings, released in the Set the Standard report in November 2021, were confronting and impossible to ignore. More than a third of people working in parliamentary workplaces reported experiencing bullying, and 1 in 3 had experienced sexual harassment. One per cent had experienced actual or attempted sexual assault. In total, 77% of workers had experienced, witnessed or heard about misconduct. Women and LGBTQ+ workers were disproportionately affected, and the review identified clear patterns: perpetrators were often in positions of greater power, and many engaged in repeated misconduct over time. 

The report pointed to 4 drivers of harmful behaviour:  

• the misuse of power, often reinforced through hierarchy and fear;  

• persistent gender inequality, including male dominated leadership and gendered cultures;  

• a lack of accountability, with few consequences for poor behaviour 

• entrenched entitlement and exclusion, which created privilege for some and heightened vulnerability for others. 

The Government accepted all recommendations in full. Reforms have included establishing a parliamentary leadership taskforce, strengthening accountability frameworks, improving reporting options and protections, and expanding support services for workers.  

Set the Standard reaffirmed that safe, respectful conduct is essential in every workplace, regardless of rank or political allegiance. It also reinforced the power of independent review, survivor voices and evidence-based reform in driving cultural change at the highest levels of public life. These changes represent a commitment to transforming not only policies but also culture - recognising that Parliament, as the nation’s highest workplace, must set the standards expected across Australia.

Read the report here.