Australian women working on research bases in Antarctica have been plagued by a widespread culture of sexual harassment, according to a report released recently.
The report, commissioned by the Australian Antarctic Division AAD, notes that the women reported unwelcome requests for sex, inappropriate sexual comments and displays of offensive or pornographic material.
The report said that despite the lack of representation of women in the Australian Antarctica Program especially during winter, some women described the culture as predatory and objectifying, while others described a homophobic culture on stations.
The report, conducted by associate professor Meredith Nash from the University of Tasmania, shows that female expeditioners feel they must go to great lengths to make their menstruation invisible and go through additional psychological and physical labor to manage their menstruation, including changing their menstrual products without privacy or adequate sanitation.
Plibersek said in a statement Thursday that the treatment described in the report was unacceptable, because of the fact that there is no place for sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior in any workplace. The report made recommendations on how to change the culture at stations, including the creation of an equity and inclusion task force. Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is working through the recommendations, according to Plibersek.
Australia is not alone in combating these issues.
The report on the Australian research bases in Antarctica came a month after the US National Science Foundation NSF released an assessment of the US Antarctic Program, which found that sexual harassment, stalking and sexual assault are ongoing, continuing problems in the USAP community.