The Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins says technology and online platforms present enormous opportunities to advance gender equality, however they can also be used to subject women to online harassment and abuse.
Commissioner Jenkins has hosted a workshop, as part of the Commission’s Human Rights and Technology conference, to discuss emerging issues around sexual harassment and abuse through technology.
After years of headlines about the toxic workplace culture at Federal Parliament, codes of conduct will for the first time apply to all parliamentarians and staffers.
The codes set standards of conduct for parliamentarians, staffers, and all other employees in parliamentary workplaces. They were endorsed by the Senate this morning and debated in the House, which is expected to also endorse them soon.
The Respect@Work Council has published new guidelines on the use of confidentiality clauses in settling workplace sexual harassment cases, and good practice indicators to assist organisations prevent and respond to workplace sexual harassment.
Speech by Australia's National Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, to the National Press Club on 30 November, 2022.
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner is responsible for the promotion and advancement of rights on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, and protected attributes in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Sex Discrimination Act; full suite of functions conferred on the Commission is available at section 48).
The survey found that reporting of workplace sexual harassment remains alarmingly low, at only 18%. Women (41%) were far more likely than men (26%) to experience harassment, and more than three quarters of harassers were men (77%).
For the first time, the survey also asked about workers’ views on the actions taken by their employer’s action to address workplace sexual harassment.
The Bill creates a positive duty requiring employers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation, and confers new regulatory powers on the Commission.
