Turning tables

Posted by Jenni Colwill on 30 August 2010 | 0 Comments

What a time we are having in Australia. Everywhere you look, tables are turning, tides are changing and shoes are flying from foot to foot. Not only do we have daily political power shifts as the Labor and Liberal parties try to square off the independents to give them government – “Give it to me!” “No, no, give it to me!” – it now looks as if the CEO of David Jones may face eight more claims of sexual harassment.

Given that a large number of women suffer sexual harassment at work and knowing that little is done to protect them, I can only applaud the courage of these women. Young women are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment, and it is their employer's responsibility to take steps to prevent it from happening.

Powerful people taking advantage of their position is not a new phenomenon, and sexual power plays by supervisors always get a lot of publicity…perhaps because this type of sexual harassment is less difficult to understand.

Yet sexual harassment can occur in many ways.

It is not always easy for the person being sexually harassed to make their displeasure known. Knowing when and where to draw the line can be confusing, and women may tend to blame themselves for other people’s inappropriate behaviour.

The important thing, if it is happening to you or to a friend, is to get advice. For the cost of a local call you can ring the Australian Human Rights Commission Infoline on 1300 656 419.

You can also read more about what constitutes sexual harassment and learn more about your rights in the following publication:

Know your rights: Sex discrimination and sexual harassment

It is worth trying to turn the tables on this one.