• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

JULIA GILLARD NEXT GENERATION INTERNSHIP REPORT 2020–21 THE MISSING WOMEN OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICS How violence against women creates barriers to female representation By Medha Majumdar ABORIGINAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EMILY’s List Australia proudly acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first people and Traditional Owners and custodians of the land and water on which we rely. We acknowledge and respect that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are steeped in traditions and customs built on an incredibly disciplined social and cultural order. This social and cultural order has sustained up by 50,000 years of existence. We acknowledge the ongoing leadership role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on gender equality. As First Peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are best placed to determine a culturally appropriate path to gender equality in their communities. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 2 | EMILY’s List Australia | THE MISSING WOMEN OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Contents INTRODUCTION FROM THE CONVENORS .......................................................................................................4 AUTHOR ............................................................................................................................................................6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................8 Research framework: Following the political pipeline .....................................................................................10 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................11 Diversity and intersectionality ........................................................................................................................12 PART 1: WOMEN AND GIRLS INTERESTED IN POLITICS ...............................................................................13 The gender gap in political ambition persists .................................................................................................14 Violence against women in politics further discourages girls from entering political careers ...........................15 The focus on women’s experience in politics has galvanised action for gender equality ................................18 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................20 PART 2: EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS ......................................................................................................21 Women experience abuse while working in politics .......................................................................................22 Experiences of abuse significantly limits women’s career advancement ........................................................24 Workplace conditions and culture in politics makes women vulnerable to abuse ...........................................25 There is limited awareness and confidence in reporting mechanisms ............................................................27 Reporting mechanisms must be transparent, confidential, independent, and deliver prompt resolutions with direct consequences for perpetrators ..................................................................................29 An independent complaints mechanism in Parliament House must promote confidence in its processes 31 Support structures and informal mechanisms should be strengthened .........................................................33 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................35 PART 3: CANDIDATES .....................................................................................................................................36 Candidates face intimidation to dissuade them from running in pre-selection contests ..................................37 Candidates experience abuse and harassment during election campaigns ...................................................41 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................44 PART 4: MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ..............................................................................................................45 Violence against women parliamentarians is a global issue ...........................................................................46 Abuse and harassment from members of the public is substantial ................................................................47 Harassment and bullying occurs between members of parliament ................................................................52 Experiences of abuse, harassment and bullying contributes to women leaving politics..................................53 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................55 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................56 Summary of recommendations .....................................................................................................................57 Figures FIGURE 1: Plan International Australia survey – Differences in attitudes towards gender and politics between girls and boys .........................................................................................................................15 FIGURE 2: Fawcett Society UK survey – ‘Accusations of sexual harassment in politics makes me less likely to get involved in politics’ ..................................................................................................................................16 FIGURE 3: ELA JGNGI survey – Prevalence of violence against women in politics ............................................23 FIGURE 4: ELA JGNGI survey – Impact of violence against women in politics on career progression ................24 FIGURE 5: ELA JGNGI survey – Satisfaction, awareness and confidence in complaints procedures .................27 FIGURE 6: ELA JGNGI survey – Significant proportion of violence against women in politics is not reported 28 FIGURE 7: ELA JGNGI survey – Sources of support for women experiencing violence in politics ......................33 FIGURE 8: Inter-Parliamentary Union survey – Prevalence of violence against women parliamentarians globally ........ 46 EMILY’s List Australia | THE MISSING WOMEN OF AUSTRALIAN POLITICS | 3 Introduction from the Convenors The recent revelations of sexual harassment and assault within Parliament House in Canberra has exposed political organisations as unsafe workplaces, where violence against women in politics is commonplace. From the bravery of Brittany Higgins, the women initiating the March4Justice, to the recent ABC Ms Represented series, women have said enough is enough. The environment in which this research was conducted has seen a massive shift in the public awareness of the issue of violence against women in politics from when it was first initiated in 2019. EMILY’s List Australia is proud to release The Missing Women of Australian Politics: How violence against women creates barriers to female representation, the third report of the Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship. Developed in partnership with our first female Prime Minister, the Julia Gillard Next Generation Internship gives life to the Gillard legacy and fulfils a long-term ambition of EMILY’s List Australia – to promote and make political life easier for the next generation of talented progressive women leaders. A Missing Women of Australian Politics has been prepared by Medha Majumdar, our third recipient of the Gillard Internship. Medha’s report reveals the negative impact of violence against women in pursuit of political careers at all stages of their involvement in the political process. It paints a bleak picture of treatment of women in politics in Australia. It shows how the experiences effect women from when they are girls first expressing their interest in politics, to when they become women in senior public office. This has undoubtedly limited the progress of women’s political representation and leadership in Australia. The report makes recommendations to reduce the prevalence of abuse and harassment in politics. They seek to raise awareness, and improve support structures and reporting mechanisms, to enact cultural change in politics in Australia and have been informed by work being done internationally. This is a global problem faced by women seeking political office or working within the business of politics. Medha is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University (ANU), and Fox International Fellow at Yale University. She is a recipient of the Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship. Prior to commencing her PhD studies, Medha held roles in criminal justice policy in Australia, and political and economic development research in India. She is committed to community service and has

Load more

  62

Copy Link