Australia’s peak body for workplace health and safety has used International Women’s Day to urge employers to treat sexual harassment as a core work health and safety (WHS) risk, rather than a matter dealt with only through HR processes or individual behaviour.
The Australian Institute of Health & Safety (AIHS) has released a new position, Managing Work-Related Sexual Harassment Risk, which calls on business leaders to embed prevention into everyday WHS systems and manage sexual harassment with the same rigour as any other workplace hazard.
The position recognises that strong legal frameworks already exist, including “The Positive Duty” under the Sex Discrimination Act and existing WHS obligations, and argues the priority now is consistent implementation nationwide.
Latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows women remain significantly more likely than men to experience sexual violence, with an estimated 318,000 women reporting work-related sexual violence since the age of 15.
AIHS Chair Celia Antonovsky said International Women’s Day is a timely reminder that safe and respectful workplaces are fundamental to equality.
“Every worker has the right to feel safe, respected and supported at work,” Antonovsky said.
“Preventing sexual harassment is essential to protecting women’s wellbeing, confidence and participation in the workforce.”
Antonovsky said sexual harassment should be viewed in the broader context of workplace risks that disproportionately impact women.
“Other under-addressed workplace health and safety issues, including menopause, psychosocial hazards and pregnancy-related risks, require stronger WHS systems and organisational commitment,” Antonovsky said.
However, new evidence suggests many workers still do not feel safe to speak up.
The 2025 AIHS Member Survey found that only 60 per cent of WHS professionals believe workers feel safe to report incidents, highlighting a gap between documented safety processes and the lived experience of employees.
ABS data also shows just 7.2 per cent of women who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years sought advice or support from a colleague or manager, underscoring continuing obstacles to reporting.
“These figures remind us that persistent barriers to reporting still exist and that deeper cultural challenges remain within workplaces,” Antonovsky said.
“Too many workers do not feel safe or supported to speak up, and sexual harassment continues to be under-recognised as a serious workplace health and safety risk.”
“Sexual harassment cannot be handled behind closed doors or treated as a standalone HR matter.
“It is a workplace hazard that can cause serious psychological, physical, social and economic harm, and it must be systematically prevented.”
Antonovsky said there is now an urgent need for practical action to close the gap between policy and practice.
She stressed that organisations cannot rely on policies alone and should make prevention part of everyday WHS systems, leadership decisions, workplace culture and HR collaboration to protect all workers.
“This International Women’s Day, and every day, all Australian businesses have a responsibility to take proactive steps to systematically build workplaces grounded in safety and respect,” Antonovsky said.
“Sexual harassment is still far too common, and women continue to be disproportionately affected, but it can be prevented.
“Every worker has the right to go to work and come home safe at the end of the day.”
