Guidance produced by human rights institutions has largely monopolized the regulatory space for prevention of sexual harassment at work, resulting in longstanding neglect of primary prevention measures. Recently, there has been a shift from reliance on complaints-based regimes stemming from equality and non-discrimination legislation to end sexual harassment at work to integration of prevention measures in work health and safety (WHS) regimes. How is this best accomplished? Examining the legal architecture in Belgium, Australia and Canada, this webinar examines the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the prevention of sexual harassment in a WHS framework.
PRESENTER
Rachel Cox is a member of the Québec Bar and a Professor of Law at the University of Québec in Montréal. She is interested in the intersections of WHS and equality rights, and particularly the regulation of gender-based violence at work, including domestic violence. Rachel favours interdisciplinary approaches to the study of work and is known for her partnership research with unions and women’s groups. In 2022-2023, she presided over an Expert Committee on Recourse for Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault at Work charged with making recommendations for legislative reform to the Québec Ministry of Labour. In March 2024, a Bill was passed implementing most of the Report’s recommendations.
EVENT CHAIR
Belinda Smith is an Associate Professor at Sydney Law School. Her main fields of research are equality and discrimination law primarily in respect of work, with a focus on gender equality, and work and care. In works published in Australia, the United States and Japan she has explored alternative regulatory tools and frameworks for promoting equality. She is a co-author with Beth Gaze of Equality and Discrimination Law in Australia (Cambridge University Press, 2017). More recently she has explored in academic and law reform work the potential and limits of work health and safety laws and positive duties in discrimination law to address sexual harassment in work.
Event recordings are available to ALLA members, become a member here. Please contact alla@austlabourlaw.asn.au for assistance accessing the video.