In line with the amended Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act, Respect@Work (2022), all workplaces now have a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Furthermore, issues of gendered violence are now considered an occupational health and safety issue.
Women’s Legal Service Victoria (Women’s Legal) initiated the Respect and Equality in the Legal Sector project to support the prevention of sexual harassment and other forms of work-related gendered violence in the legal sector – a sector with higher rates than other Australian workplaces. Women’s Legal engaged Capire to consult with women and gender diverse people from across the sector regarding the enablers and barriers to reporting work-related gendered violence.
Approach
The engagement program included an anonymous survey, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, a sector leaders discussion, and a legal sector forum. We aimed to provide varied avenues, so that people could contribute in a way that felt comfortable, particularly given the subject matter. The engagement reached 50 women, all of whom had witnessed and/or experienced work-related gendered violence in the legal sector.
Outcomes
The engagement data revealed a complex network of drivers that can operate to maintain the current health and safety environment in Victoria’s legal sector or, alternatively, work to improve current conditions. These findings are detailed in Capire’s Engagement Summary Report:
‘The overarching message from participants is that the current norms and values of the legal sector act as a structural barrier to acknowledging and reporting workplace gendered violence within the sector.’
Women’s Legal will use these findings to create its final report. This report will also include the research and evidence on barriers and enablers to reporting sexual harassment and gender-based violence in Victoria’s legal sector.
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Participant
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Participant
