05:44

Kate Jenkins said:



“Our 2018 national prevalence survey found that one in every three Australian workers had experienced sexual harassment in the last five years, up from one in five in 2012. We heard throughout the inquiry that workplace sexual harassment is pervasive. It occurs in every industry, in every location and at every level. This is not simply the story of a few bad apples. Women are still most at risk, but we also heard from men who’d been harassed at work ...



“Young people under the age of 30 are at the highest risk, as well as LGBTQI workers, workers with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and migrant workers. We also now understand that some industries and environments create a higher risk of sexual harassment. We heard that gender inequality is the key power disparity that drives sexual harassment, along with other cultural and systemic factors.”



Jenkins noted “new” barriers to combatting sexual harassment including the impact of media reporting, the low rate of union membership and “the numbers of women in employment, if not in leadership”.



“We heard now more than ever making a complaint of sexual harassment can risk a complainant’s income, job prospects, mental health, family wellbeing and community connection.”



Jenkins noted workplace sexual harassment was estimated to cost $3.8bn in 2018.

