Contemporary Challenges in Addressing Sexual Harassment at Work (Nov 2020)
CELRL Labour Law Seminar
Seminar presented by Kate Jenkins (Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner)
Monday 23 November 2020
About the event
In this seminar, Kate Jenkins (Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner) discussed the release of the Respect@Work report on sexual harassment at work, published by the Australian Human Rights Commission in March 2020.
In particular, Kate spoke about the challenge of addressing sexual harassment at work, with a focus on systemic aspects, in particular employer responses and obligations under both anti-discrimination and work health and safety laws.
Professor Beth Gaze (MLS) convened the seminar and provided some commentary on the lead up to, and after, the report's release.
About the speaker
Kate Jenkins is Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner and a member of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Her purpose is to advance gender equality, consistent with the Sex Discrimination Act and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Kate is leading a number of projects, including the recently launched report Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces and the Commission’s collaborative project on cultural reform with the Australian Defence Force. Kate is also Co-Chair of Play by the Rules, a joint project between human rights agencies and sports commissions to make grass roots sports safe, fair and inclusive. Prior to joining the Commission, Kate spent three years as the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, 20 years as lead equal opportunity partner with Herbert Smith Freehills’ and many years serving on the boards of Berry Street Victoria, Heide Museum of Modern Art and Carlton Football Club.
Beth Gaze researches and teaches equality and discrimination law at the University of Melbourne, and has been a consultant to state and federal government law reform initiatives and to the ILO. With Associate Professor Belinda Smith of Sydney University she is author of Equality and Discrimination law in Australia: An Introduction (2017, Cambridge University Press).