Australian women working on research bases in Antarctica have been afflicted 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.
Given the underrepresentation of women in the AAP Australian Antarctica Program especially during winter, some women described the culture as predatory and objectifying, while others described a homophobic culture on stations, according to the report.
The report, conducted by associate professor Meredith Nash from the University of Tasmania, revealed 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 menstruation, including changing their menstrual products without privacy or adequate sanitation.
There is no place for sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior at any workplace, according to Plibersek in a statement Thursday, calling the treatment described in the report as unacceptable. 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 on the recommendations, according to Plibersek.
Australia is not alone in combating these issues.
The US National Science Foundation NSF released a report on the Australian research bases in Antarctica 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.