Addressing Workplace Sexual Harassment: Action Steps for Gender Equality
Each of the four gendered drivers have five suggested actions your organisation can take to address workplace sexual
harassment. These are not the only actions you can take. The actions you take will depend on your own existing
culture and context. We recommend you take actions that are doable, are relevant for your organisation and will make
the most impact.
You can use this slide deck and images as you wish. You can edit and adapt to your own context and use them for
educational and/or communication purposes.
GENDERED DRIVERS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
ACTION STEPS
Challenge attitudes
Inform the workforce
Challenge discrimination
Encourage discussion
Review policy
Conduct a review of policies and procedures to
analyse the practices that implicitly or explicitly
condone sexual harassment in the workplace
.
Recognise and challenge discrimination based on gender,
race, sexuality, disability and other discriminatory attitudes
.
Create opportunities for workers to discuss workplace
culture issues and identify practices that may implicitly or
explicitly condone sexual harassment in the workplace
.
Ensure your workforce understands what behaviours and actions
constitute sexual harassment
.
Recognise and challenge attitudes and beliefs that justify, excuse, trivialize,
or downplay sexual harassment in the workplace.
DRIVER 1
Challenge the
condoning of
sexual
harassment
1
2
3
4
5
DRIVER 2
Promote
women’s
independence
and decision-
making in the
workplace
Set gender equity targets
Inform the workforce
Promote independence
Who speaks up
Review workplace settings
Recognise and promote the achievements of women in the
workplace and create pathways and opportunities for
women in leadership
.
Identify who speaks up in meetings and forums. Facilitate
a process that ensures women have a voice.
Ensure your workforce understands that you promote women’s
independence and decision-making in your workforce.
Plan for gender equity in leadership positions, with timeframes, milestones
and accountability built in.
1
2
3
4
5
Conduct a type of audit to discover your workplace
characteristics – how male-dominated is your workplace, who
makes the decisions and how hierarchical is your structure?
Challenge stereotypes
Challenge ‘the way things
are done around here’
Recognise workplace habits that are based on gender.
These can be organisational and/or individual. Particularly
important for male dominated workplaces.
Recognise and challenge gender stereotypes in your organization.
Consider the roles people have and how they create power imbalances.
DRIVER 3
Build a culture
that fosters
personal identities
that are not
constrained by
rigid gender
stereotypes
1
2
3
4
5
Educate and support leaders to recognise disrespect in the
workplace, particularly within male groups showing
disrespect toward women.
Make it clear that your organisation encourages and supports its
workers to speak up when witnessing disrespectful behaviours
and ensure processes are in place for appropriately reporting and
responding to disrespectful behaviours.
Plan and support for non-traditional gender-based
workplace roles.
Recognise disrespect
Encourage speaking up
Support non-traditional
roles
DRIVER 4
Support men in
developing healthy
masculinities and
positive,
supportive male
peer relationships
Provide education and
challenge gender bias
Support networks
Support mentoring
Promote positive
relationships
Recognise achievements
Develop a mentoring program for leaders and workers that
focuses on positive and healthy relationships in the
workplace
.
Actively promote positive relationships at work that
demonstrate healthy masculinities and respect.
Encourage networks within the organisation that support positive
male peer relationships, such as social events and interest groups.
Develop education and training opportunities for workers on positive workplace
cultures that challenges gender bias, particularly in areas of recruitment,
promotion and workplace diversity.
1
2
3
4
5
Reward positive behaviours that show respect and support
for colleagues.
Add your notes here, for example:
Two in five Australians (40%) believed many women exaggerate how unequally women are treated in Australia.
One in seven Australians did not agree that women are as capable as men in politics and in the workplace.
Nearly one quarter of Australians saw no harm in telling sexist jokes.
Many Australians believed sexual aggression can be attributed in part to men’s ‘natural sex drive’. In particular, one-third (33%) of Australians believed that rape results from men being unable to control their need for sex; and more than one-quarter (28%) believed that, when sexually aroused, men may be unaware a woman does not want to have sex.
Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Australians believed women find it flattering to be persistently pursued, even if they are not interested.
National Community Attitudes to Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) 2017
Implementing effective strategies to address workplace sexual harassment by challenging attitudes, promoting gender equity in leadership, challenging stereotypes, and providing education and support for all employees. Drivers include recognition and challenge of discriminatory behaviors, setting gender equity targets, challenging gender stereotypes, and supporting non-traditional workplace roles.
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Presentation Transcript
GENDERED DRIVERS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACTION STEPS Each of the four gendered drivers have five suggested actions your organisation can take to address workplace sexual harassment. These are not the only actions you can take. The actions you take will depend on your own existing culture and context. We recommend you take actions that are doable, are relevant for your organisation and will make the most impact. You can use this slide deck and images as you wish. You can edit and adapt to your own context and use them for educational and/or communication purposes.
DRIVER 1 Recognise and challenge attitudes and beliefs that justify, excuse, trivialize, or downplay sexual harassment in the workplace. Challenge attitudes 1 Recognise and challenge discrimination based on gender, race, sexuality, disability and other discriminatory attitudes. 2 Challenge discrimination Challenge the condoning of sexual harassment Conduct a review of policies and procedures to analyse the practices that implicitly or explicitly condone sexual harassment in the workplace. Review policy 3 Create opportunities for workers to discuss workplace culture issues and identify practices that may implicitly or explicitly condone sexual harassment in the workplace. Encourage discussion 4 Ensure your workforce understands what behaviours and actions constitute sexual harassment. Inform the workforce 5
DRIVER 2 Plan for gender equity in leadership positions, with timeframes, milestones and accountability built in. Set gender equity targets 1 Recognise and promote the achievements of women in the workplace and create pathways and opportunities for women in leadership. 2 Promote independence Promote women s independence and decision- making in the workplace Conduct a type of audit to discover your workplace characteristics how male-dominated is your workplace, who makes the decisions and how hierarchical is your structure? Review workplace settings 3 Who speaks up Identify who speaks up in meetings and forums. Facilitate a process that ensures women have a voice. 4 Ensure your workforce understands that you promote women s independence and decision-making in your workforce. Inform the workforce 5
DRIVER 3 Recognise and challenge gender stereotypes in your organization. Consider the roles people have and how they create power imbalances. Challenge stereotypes 1 Challenge the way things are done around here Recognise workplace habits that are based on gender. These can be organisational and/or individual. Particularly important for male dominated workplaces. 2 Build a culture that fosters personal identities that are not constrained by rigid gender stereotypes Educate and support leaders to recognise disrespect in the workplace, particularly within male groups showing disrespect toward women. Recognise disrespect 3 Make it clear that your organisation encourages and supports its workers to speak up when witnessing disrespectful behaviours and ensure processes are in place for appropriately reporting and responding to disrespectful behaviours. Encourage speaking up 4 Support non-traditional roles Plan and support for non-traditional gender-based workplace roles. 5
DRIVER 4 Provide education and challenge gender bias Develop education and training opportunities for workers on positive workplace cultures that challenges gender bias, particularly in areas of recruitment, promotion and workplace diversity. 1 Develop a mentoring program for leaders and workers that focuses on positive and healthy relationships in the workplace. 2 Support mentoring Support men in developing healthy masculinities and positive, supportive male peer relationships Recognise achievements Reward positive behaviours that show respect and support for colleagues. 3 Promote positive relationships Actively promote positive relationships at work that demonstrate healthy masculinities and respect. 4 Encourage networks within the organisation that support positive male peer relationships, such as social events and interest groups. Support networks 5
