Whispers from the bush : the workplace sexual harassment of Australian rural women

Abstract

This Thesis examines the nature and prevalence of workplace sexual harassment in rural and remote areas of Australia. To this end, interviews were conducted with a total of 107 rural employees and employers across Australia about their experiences of gendered harm in the workplace and their attitudes towards its occurrence. Other complimentary research techniques were also implemented in this Thesis, including a comprehensive judicial case analysis of sexual harassment matters heard in Australia throughout a five­‐year period. The key findings in this Thesis span areas such as: the impact of male­‐dominance on the nature and prevalence of sexual harassment within the workplace; the survival behaviours adopted by many rural women in response to sexually harassing behaviour; and ­employee and employer attitudes towards the disclosure of sexual harassment. In the final chapters, the Thesis makes recommendations for addressing the prevalence of ­‐and attitudinal problems towards­‐ rural workplace sexual harassment.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	English
Supervisor	Patricia EASTEAL (Supervisor) & Sarah Ailwood (Supervisor)