One in three workers in Australia's federal parliament sexually harassed
November 30, 2021, 6:12 am

One in three workers in Australia's federal parliament sexually harassed

Australia -Melbourne city-Flinders street station/Pixabay

The BBC reported, a landmark report has found, a third of employees in Australia's federal parliament have been sexually harassed.

The report was commissioned after a former staffer, Brittany Higgins, said she had been raped by a colleague in a minister's office.

Her story earlier this year triggered a wave of wide-ranging allegations of misconduct in Canberra.

The victims were disproportionately women, said Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins.

The report, titled Set the Standard, found 51% of staffers had experienced some form of bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault.

Australia-North Sydney-Harbour Bridge/Pixabay

Ms Jenkins, the report's author, said: "Such experiences leave a trail of devastation for individuals and their teams and undermine the performance of our parliament to the nation's detriments."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the findings as "appalling", adding: "I wish I found it more surprising".

Mr Morrison has previously been accused of being "tone deaf" on issues disproportionately affecting women in parliament.

The review, tabled in federal parliament on Tuesday, interviewed 1,723 people and 33 organisations.

It found 63% of female parliamentarians had experienced sexual harassment - an even higher percentage than for political staffers.

One unnamed MP told the review: "Aspiring male politicians who thought nothing of, in one case, picking you up, kissing you on the lips, lifting you up, touching you, pats on the bottom, comments about appearance, you know, the usual. The point I make with that ... as the culture allowed it, encouraged it."

The report made recommendations including improving leadership and gender balances, and reducing a culture of alcohol.

Ms Higgins said she urged MPs across the political divide to "implement these recommendations in full".

She said: "I want to thank the many brave people who shared their stories, which contributed to this review."

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”