RESOURCE What the evidence tells us: Insights from ANROWS’ sexual harassment research program
Between 2021–2024, ANROWS commissioned four major studies exploring how sexual harassment is experienced in different workplaces and by different communities:
- Retail workers
- LGBTQ young people
- Migrant and refugee women
- Workers targeted through digital technologies (technology-facilitated sexual harassment)
The findings are clear:
- Some groups experience sexual harassment at disproportionately high rates.
- In industries like retail and hospitality, harassment has become so common it’s often seen as “part of the job.”
- WSH doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s part of a broader pattern of other forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment.
- Perpetrators exploit power imbalances, and victims are left carrying the burden when systems fail to respond.
This summary brings together key insights across projects, highlighting what needs to change at both organisational and policy levels – from recognising positive duty to strengthening training and creating safer, more inclusive workplaces.