An independent review into workplace culture within the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has found 46 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men reported having been sexually harassed within the past five years.

Key points: 64 per cent of employees surveyed reported workplace bullying in the past five years

64 per cent of employees surveyed reported workplace bullying in the past five years Women make up 32 per cent of senior executive roles

Women make up 32 per cent of senior executive roles Review consulted 1,000 AFP employees

The six-month study into diversity and inclusion within the AFP, carried out by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, made 24 recommendations.

It found instances of sexual harassment within the workplace were almost double the national average.

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The review also found 62 per cent of men and 66 per cent of women reported they had been bullied in the past five years.

At the release of the report in Canberra today, AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin unreservedly apologised to past and present members of the AFP who had been subjected to bullying and sexual harassment within the workplace and at AFP events.

Staff had reported a lack of trust in the sexual harassment and bullying reporting system and feared being ostracised or victimised, or having the complaint negatively impact on their career.

Commissioner Colvin has appointed Assistant Commissioner Ray Johnson to head up a new division within the AFP to lead the cultural reform process.

The review follows consultation with more than 1,000 AFP members across the organisation for the study titled Cultural Change: Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Australian Federal Police.

Among the recommendations is the establishment of a 15-member gender-balanced Cultural Reform Board to be chaired by the Commissioner.

This was in response to findings that the AFP had not capitalised on the 1.6 million women who had joined the workforce in the past 20 years, causing the proportion of women in the force to remain "static".

Other recommendations involved addressing leadership issues, including offering more support to managers who performance-manage staff.

'It's time we expose them': Colvin

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 7 minutes 49 seconds 7 m Commissioner Andrew Colvin speaks to Leigh Sales

Speaking to the ABC's 7.30 program, Commissioner Colvin said he was "shocked" by the contents of the report.

He said the structure of the AFP may have allowed perpetrators to "mask" their behaviour.

"I think what we're seeing is that in organisations like the Australian Federal Police, organisations that are particularly male-dominated, organisations that also have command and control as a principal part of the way they operate, these behaviours can sometimes be masked," he said.

"They can be hidden, and it is time that we expose them and that's what we're doing."

Commissioner Colvin said victims should be assured that any complaints that were brought forward would be treated seriously.

"This needs leadership at all levels of the organisation and a deep commitment but it also needs us to listen," he said.

"Those lived experiences [are] what we have to learn from and, frankly, there is zero tolerance for this and today marks the begins of an era for the AFP where we will improve."

Continuous service conditions 'restricting women's promotion'

The report recommends an annual focus on recruitment pathways to operational roles for women, as well as improving flexible career options.

It found "decoupling" traditional career pathways and continuous service from the promotion process would allow women better access to career progression.

The report recognised senior leadership was drawn from the police population where women were underrepresented.

Women make up 60 per cent of the unsworn AFP workforce but only 32 per cent of senior executive roles.

Some women also reported feeling pressure to "fit in" and "prove themselves" in a male-dominated culture and having to tolerate working in sexualised environments.

AFP Association national president Angela Smith said sexual harassment and bullying was a systemic problem for the AFP.

"We would probably receive a complaint each week from our members and we're just dealing with my members, which is about 4,000 of the total population of the AFP," she said.

The report also recommended that the Australian Defence Force's approach to storytelling and giving a voice to victims of harassment, abuse and bullying would benefit the AFP.