Anna McPhee's Speech
Thank you
Vice Chancellor, Staff, students & guests.
It gives me great pleasure to launch the University's comprehensive campaign to address sex based harassment on campus.
At the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, we work with businesses to ensure a workplace where every woman can achieve her greatest potential without fear of harassment or discrimination. Having in place sex based harassment policies and transparent procedures for the handling of inappropriate behaviour can go a long way in sending a clear message that women are respected.
While women are the major victims of sex-based harassment, it should not be left unsaid that men too can be victims, harassed by both women and men.
A recent survey found that 41% of Australian women and 14% of men have experienced sexual harassment.
Saying no to sex-based harassment is therefore not just an issue for the women here on campus. Everybody must and should be involved in its prevention.
I am delighted to share the stage with Dr Tanveer Ahmed, Unifem White Ribbon Ambassador and Andrew O'Keefe, Chairman of the White Ribbon National Leadership Group. These men, like many others, have stood up as men for the elimination of violence against women and should be applauded.
The strong message that sex-based harassment is unwelcome, unacceptable and unlawful on the UTS campus is loud and clear with the SHOUTS campaign.
This comprehensive campaign by UTS will further enhance the university's position as an EOWA employer of choice for women.
Recent high profile incidents show how perpetrators continue to rob individuals of their legal right to live and work without harassment. These high profile incidents in the business world show the stigma that brands the organisation and the inappropriate actions the individual had to endure.
The recent alleged, controversial sexual harassment on the television show Big Brother left no doubt that many young men and indeed young women are unaware of what is and what isn't sex-based harassment.
I was disappointed when I read comments of the 2 evicted Michaels, otherwise known as Ashley and John, saying they understood they were evicted because they broke Big Brother's rules.
I was disappointed because these two guys actually broke Australian law and, more importantly, fundamental social laws and yet seemed totally oblivious to these facts.
Pinning someone down, taking away their freedom and then rubbing your crotch in the person's face is sex-based harassment.
The mistreated girl, Camilla, said in an interview "I was uncomfortable for a split second in time".
That split second is all it takes - a split second of unwanted attention is sex-based harassment.
The other recent high profile incident I would like to talk about are the claims of a culture of sexual misconduct within the police force academy at Goulburn, particularly that between the instructors and students.
Many people, and particularly the perpetrators in similar incidents, might say that sex for marks is an arrangement of consent and therefore not sex based harassment.
Wrong. The power held by an instructor, lecturer or tutor over a student is considerable. The test for sex-based harassment is whether a reasonable person would have anticipated that the behaviour would have an intimidating effect. Requests for sex, in situations of unequal power is intimidating - it is coercion not consent.
I commend the University for putting in place a long-term strategy to make everybody on campus - academics, staff, part-time and casual employees and students, aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Today is the official launch, but already the university has begun its pro-active campaign. I am impressed by the Faculty that has included the SHOUTS message in its course outline and I would urge other Faculties to follow this example. This initiative puts the issues upfront and central - from here there can be no excuse.
The UTS campaign will hopefully have much farther reaching impact than the campus itself.
SHOUTS means sex based harassment out of UTS
SHOUTS means speak out loudly when you experience harassment, or when you see harassment.
SHOUTS means that there is no excuse - Think, Change, Do.
Thank you.