1 in 3 Are Sexually Harassed in Australia's Parliament
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An independent study into legislative workplace culture has found that one in every three personnel working in Australia's Parliament had experienced sexual harassment.
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An inquiry found that more than 50% of staff at Canberra’s Parliament House had experienced attempted sexual assault.
A new report from Australia has found that one in three people working for parliamentary offices in the country has been sexually harassed, detailing a widely concerning culture of abuse in Australia's highest governmental offices.
The Australian government commissioned the 456-page research, which comprised interviews and surveys with over 1,000 current and former members of Parliament.
The survey, titled "Set the Standard," found that women were more likely than men to be subjected to sexual harassment, bullying, and assault.
Sexual harassment was reported by 40% of women and 26% of men.
According to the survey, 63% of female MPs had experienced sexual harassment, compared to 24% of male legislators. The percentage of women who report being sexually harassed is much greater than the national average of 39%.
Approximately 1% of respondents said they had been sexually assaulted, but the study did not ask them to elaborate on their experiences.
Power dynamics at work
The paper delves into some of the core causes of a sexual harassment culture.
More than half of those who reported sexual harassment said it was perpetrated by someone in a higher-ranking position.
Also, more than 75% of individuals who indicated that they were bullied said it came from someone in a higher position than them.
Respondents also stated that they did not feel that reporting cases of harassment and abuse would result in any change and that it would have a detrimental impact on their professional and personal lives. That said, only 11% of people that were sexually harassed have reported it.
"Some people described feeling that the only options were to tolerate the misconduct or leave, rather than expecting that the misconduct could be addressed," the report said.
