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Statements about sexual harassment

11 Dec 2017

Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

  Total agree Total disagree   Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know   Men agree Women agree
Men and women are generally treated equally in the workplace these days 45% 47%   9% 36% 35% 12% 8%   62% 28%
Workplace hiring policies often favour men over women 53% 32%   14% 39% 25% 7% 15%   46% 61%
Sexual harassment is widespread in the Australian workplace. 46% 32%   12% 34% 25% 7% 22%   37% 55%
Women often exaggerate stories about sexual harassment in the workplace. 31% 45%   8% 23% 30% 15% 24%   40% 21%
Sexual harassment in the workplace limits women’s career opportunities. 60% 24%   13% 47% 20% 4% 15%   53% 66%
Discrimination against women is no longer a serious problem in Australian workplaces. 27% 58%   6% 21% 39% 19% 15%   38% 17%
Because company boards and upper management positions are often dominated men, sexual harassment is not addressed or covered up. 49% 27%   13% 38% 21% 6% 21%   46% 57%
Compared to previous generations women have little to complain about in the workplace. 41% 44%   8% 33% 33% 11% 14%   51% 32%

 

There was majority agreement with the statements that sexual harassment in the workplace limits women’s career opportunities (60%) and workplace hiring policies often favour men over women (53%).

A majority (58%) disagreed that discrimination against women is no longer a serious problem in Australian workplaces.

 

There were substantial differences between the answers of men and women on most of these measures, in particular –

  • Men and women are generally treated equally in the workplace these days (62% of men agree, 28% of women agree).
  • Discrimination against women is no longer a serious problem in Australian workplaces (38% of men agree, 17% of women agree).
  • Sexual harassment is widespread in the Australian workplace (37% of men agree, 55% of women agree).
  • Women often exaggerate stories about sexual harassment in the workplace (40% of men agree, 21% of women agree).
  • Compared to previous generations women have little to complain about in the workplace (40% of men agree, 21% of women agree).
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