Australian state parliament staff exposed to sexual harassment: Report

ANKARA (AA) - Two-thirds of people working in the Australian state of Tasmania's parliament have experienced sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination, a new report revealed on Monday.

Anti-Discrimination Commissioner of the state, Sarah Bolt, released a Report into Workplace Culture in the Tasmanian Ministerial and Parliamentary Services, describing some of the content as "disturbing."

She interviewed 318 staff members during a survey and 15% of them revealed that they had experienced sexual harassment, 40% complained of bullying and 24% faced discrimination.

The report said women faced requests or pressure for sex and were followed to their accommodation during remote working.

The staff also complained of receiving sexually explicit comments on Facebook and phone calls, sexual gestures, and exposure of body parts, according to the report.

The staff also complained of a poor accountability system and avoided lodging complaints due to fear of losing jobs.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff called the report "confronting" and said the issue must be addressed as an absolute priority.

“My intention is to move for a joint house committee … to act on the recommendations, and I believe that is the best way forward,” ABC quoted the premier as saying.

Last year, the Australia Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins in her report also revealed that one in three people working at the Australian parliament has experienced some form of sexual harassment.

The high-profile inquiry into parliament’s workplace culture was formed after parliamentary staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in a ministerial office in 2019.

Jenkins said that 37% of respondents had personally experienced bullying, 33% had personally experienced sexual harassment, with 1% experienced an actual or attempted sexual assault.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid