Veil lifts on deep culture of sexism and misogyny within Victoria Police
THIS week is a watershed for Victoria Police as the force rises to the challenge it has been set to address the serious issue of sex discrimination and sexual harassment within its ranks.
Opinion
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THIS week is a watershed for Victoria Police as the force rises to the challenge it has been set to address the serious issue of sex discrimination and sexual harassment within its ranks.
Our report on sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour within Victoria Police, reveals widespread sexual harassment, along with an entrenched culture of sexism and misogyny.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this problem is not just a Victoria Police one but exists across a range of professions, arguably especially in traditionally male-dominated careers.
In other words, despite 40 years of anti-discrimination laws, we clearly still have a problem accepting women as equals.
The review heard from thousands of Victoria Police employees about how the attitudes and behaviours of their colleagues and managers, and the systems and processes in place, have shaped their experiences at work.
The findings are shocking.
We heard that women are commonly viewed by their male colleagues, often those more senior in rank, as potential sexual partners exacerbated by the fact that male promiscuity is not only tolerated but celebrated within a force largely viewed as a “boys’ club”. This must change.
We heard from women who at best describe themselves as sidelined and disillusioned and at worst stressed, humiliated and even broken.
Some have openly talked about having suicidal thoughts.
We also heard that people love the job, that it is a calling, and that people want the organisation to be the best it can be.
This work mirrors recent high-profile reports into sex discrimination and harassment delivered by the Australian Defence Force, Royal College of Surgeons and similar reports in academia where women are fearful of risking their hard-won careers or being labelled a troublemaker.
The difference is, instead of waiting for a scandal to break and turn the spotlight on the police, the organisation has shown leadership in engaging the commission to expose the problem and find a way to fix it.
One thing is certain: there is no running away from this review.
Many women report unwanted touching and being subjected to highly sexualised banter or jokes; often with the support or tacit endorsement of supervisors.
As a result, a number of women talk about actively avoiding situations where they are likely to face harassment, even requesting shift changes or transfers resulting in lost income, reduced opportunities for promotion and additional pressures on family if they have children.
Female members are often viewed as less competent, too emotional and better suited to “soft” policing.
Needless to say, there are significantly fewer women in senior positions, with part-time staff or those with carer duties written off as less committed, even described as “dead wood”.
The review also reveals that homophobia and sexuality-based hostility is widespread.
It is the largest organisational review of its kind outside the US military and more than 5000 members — or nearly a third of the force — took part in either surveys or interviews.
And of those surveyed,
40 per cent of women had experienced some degree of sexual harassment.
That is significant not just because of the many who told their stories but also because, in the past, instances of sexual harassment or predatory behaviour had been chronically under-reported through fear of retribution.
Victoria Police has asked us to develop recommendations and an action plan for change as well as asking us to measure their progress across a three-year period.
This will be a challenging time for Victoria Police not only in terms of dealing with those inside the force who still see gender issues as non-issues but also in terms of the public scrutiny that inevitably will follow the report’s release.
It is my hope that other organisations follow suit and also address harmful attitudes that exist or persist in their workplaces, and do something about it.
KATE JENKINS IS VICTORIA’S EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER
@Kate_Jenkins
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