Equitable workplaces keep people safe

The results of Science & Technology Australia's first national survey of sexual harrassment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workplaces were deeply disturbing, but - sadly - not surprising.

The topic is sensitive and intensely personal, requiring bravery and resilience of those who choose to speak up, even via anonymous survey. A general call-out to our networks of 70,000+ scientists and technologists across Australia yielded just 300 or so responses, and the survey results make for difficult reading.

Nearly half of all women and 10% of all men who responded said they'd been sexually harassed at work. People who identified as LGBTQI+ were more likely to have been harassed, and also more likely to report their workplace's policies and procedures to prevent and deal with harassment were inadequate. These statistics held true for people working in science and technology in academia, the public sector, and the private sector.

Although our responders were self-selected and the sample size small, these results reflected much larger similar studies of science, and of academia, internationally. So - while I was deeply disturbed by them - I was not surprised. The surprise, when it came, was unexpectedly uplifting.

Fewer incidents of sexual harassment occurred in workplaces that were gender balanced, and when harassment did occur, people in balanced workplaces felt that the policies and procedures for preventing harassment were sound, and that the mechanisms for dealing with harassment were adequate.

This ray of light gives me so much heart. I believe both anger and optimism are required for positive change to occur - anger fuelled by the unfairness of the status quo, and optimism fed on glimpses of what could be. I am undoubtedly angered by results that demonstrate our STEM workplaces are not safe for so many, and particularly not for already vulnerable minority groups. But to hear that those who work in places where women and men are equal in number and status are safer, and know they can find necessary support and response when that safety is breached, is immensely powerful and motivating. This small but significant finding builds on the growing body of evidence  demonstrating that gender equity is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. 

My staff and I prepare many submissions to consultations and inquiries every year. This survey was conducted to inform our submission to the National Inquiry into Sexual Harrassment in Australian Workplaces, and it was one of the most thoughtfully composed and closely scrutinised I've been involved in, having written or edited hundreds of submissions and formal representations over my career in advocacy. I read these results with careful and respectful attention, conscious that each "me too" delivered into our care came at great personal cost, and with a deep brave breath before hitting submit.

Each of us who worked on this survey and submission has been subdued by it, yet honoured by the opportunity to help those who responded to contribute to making a small step towards change. Each of us is bouyed by hope that change is possible, and the welcome reinforcement that the work we're doing to achieve equal representation and status of women and men in STEM is absolutely crucial. Each of us is committed to keep working for positive change on behalf of each of those respondents, and the many other people we represent who felt they couldn't yet speak up.