South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS) has launched a campaign to promote free legal assistance to those who have experienced sexual harassment at work.
The Advocacy against Sexual Harassment (AASH) campaign will appear in multiple locations online and throughout the City of Casey, City of Greater Dandenong, and Shire of Cardinia.
SMLS said they believe the program will offer reassurance, and they urge affected individuals to reach out for free, confidential support.
Workplace sexual harassment is alarmingly prevalent.
About 7 per cent of women employed by City of Casey have reportedly experienced sexual harassment at work, according to official audit data.
Only one of them submitted a formal complaint.
The audit also shows 5 per cent of male employees at the council say they experienced sexual harassment.
Beyond council walls, the numbers are even more striking.
Over the past five years, Casey has averaged 370 sexual offence victim reports per year, with 399 reports already filed for the year ending in 2023.
With only one in five people taking the step to report sexual harassment, the true numbers are likely substantially higher.
According to SafeWork Australia, one in three people have experienced sexual harassment at work in the last five years, and only 6 per cent of those approach a lawyer for help.
“The sad fact is, people at higher risk of sexual harassment are often already experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage,” Kristen Wallwork, Executive Director of SMLS said.
“They are less able to manage complex sexual harassment litigation on their own.
“That’s why this free, confidential legal assistance is so vital. We’re experts and we can help navigate the legal processes.”
In particular, young women and women from a culturally diverse background are at greater risk of workplace sexual harassment.
According to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) people aged 18 to 29 experience the highest rates of workplace sexual harassment of
all age groups (45 per cent).
Women of CALD backgrounds report experiencing sexual harassment at twice the rate of the surveyed population, according to AHRC.
To help reach women from diverse cultural backgrounds, the campaign has been translated into Mandarin, Sinhalese, Vietnamese, Punjabi and Hindi, reflective of the local population.
SMLS said there is inadequate community understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment under the law.
The campaign, SMLS said, explicitly calls out the behaviours that constitute sexual harassment, including comments/jokes, intrusive questions, staring/leering, unwelcome touching and inappropriate physical contact.
“Our aim with this campaign is to inform people that what they are experiencing is sexual harassment,” Ms Wallwork said.
“Then we want to reassure them – we will believe what they say, and we can help.”
For anyone who is interested in more information or wants support, you can call 9545 7400 or 9038 8002 between 9am and 4:30pm, or email info@smls.com.au
