Training for Respect
Training for Respect
| Training for Respect seeks to improve the capacity, capability and confidence of Victoria's adult education sector to prevent and respond to work-related gender-violence. The project will aim to establish a sustainable sector-wide primary prevention infrastructure for Victorian Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Training for Respect is proudly supported by WorkSafe Victoria’s WorkWell Respect Fund. |
Training for Respect will introduce tools and strategies to promote a positive workplace culture and well-being, focusing on preventing sexual harassment and gender-based violence. By addressing the root causes and working with the sector to establish effective structures, the project aims to significantly enhance well-being in Victorian training organisations.
The program will offer self-paced modules to build foundational knowledge, covering the prevalence of workplace gendered violence and its impact. These modules will also provide essential training on psychosocial risks in training organisations and the obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The program emphasises understanding an intersectional approach to addressing gender inequity and how this can lower the risk of gender-based violence.
Recognising the crucial role of leaders, the project will enhance leadership skills to foster positive workplace cultures, reducing inequity, psychosocial risks, and other factors contributing to gender-based violence.
A health promotion campaign, developed in collaboration with the industry and incorporating insights from those with lived experience, will combat resistance to the topic. The campaign aims to promote respect and well-being in educational settings, emphasising the consequences of inappropriate behaviours.
Working in collaboration with the sector and centering lived experience , this project will build on evidence and leading practice ways of working and:
- Governance and Advice infrastructure for industry to oversee and drive work to prevent workplace gendered violence.
- Needs analysis report and evidence describing prevalence and experience of the sector with regard to workplace gendered violence.
- Build capability through a three-part sector-specific program comprising:
- Online modules establishing the foundations of the Act, obligations, risks, hazards and, steps to prevent workplace gendered violence
- In-person program to embed and deepen knowledge to develop accountability and behaviour change in RTO workplaces
- In-person program for leaders and managers to embed practice skills to identify mitigate and eliminate workplace gendered violence.
- Produce an industry-wide campaign to promote agreed messages, including the value and impact on the industry, employees and students of eliminating workplace gendered violence.
- Build an online resource hub which will include a referral pathway for the sector, quality information and access to resources developed through the project.
- Establish a long term theory of change and monitoring framework that can be used by the sector to sustain the work to prevent workplace gendered violence.
- Evaluation Report on outcomes of the project including recommendations to industry to advance the work under the sectors agreed Theory of Change.
The project will build on what's already in place in Victoria's skills sector. For example, it will use the Our Watch Respect and Equality in TAFE framework, a strong national foundation already used by TAFE in Victoria. The Gender Equality Act has also focused attention on addressing sexual harassment in the TAFE sector, leading to new activities and strategies.
Additionally, the regulator ASQA has shared a practice note about sexual harassment in providers, drawing from the work of the higher education regulator TESQA. While there's talk about updating standards for RTOs across Australia to ensure safe workplaces and prevent gendered violence, no changes have been made so far.
Research indicates that gender-based violence, including sexual harassment, can have profound and distressing effects, leading to feelings of shame, humiliation, and powerlessness. Women, in particular, are more likely to experience sexual harassment, which correlates with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Beyond the individual, these negative impacts can extend to organizational culture, causing vicarious trauma. If left unaddressed, gender-based violence can result in decreased morale, reduced job satisfaction, and increased turnover, exacerbating mental health issues among workers.
More strategically, workplace gendered violence reinforces sexist stereotypes, limits the careers of women[i] drives environments that encourage gender segregated workforces[ii]. and as such can contribute to skills shortages.[iii] [iv]
WorkSafe has identified Education and Training as a high risk industry area[v] for workplace gendered violence including sexual harassment.
Recent workplace audit data from the 2021 Victorian Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (CGEPS) reveals that 4% of women and 3% of men in TAFE and other education workplaces reported experiencing sexual harassment.
The 4th National Survey on Sexual Harassment reported that “close to half of all sexual harassment perpetrated in the workplace in the last five years occurred within four industry groups: health care and social assistance, retail trade, education and training and accommodation and food services”[vi]. According to the 5th National Survey on sexual harassment in Australian Workplaces[vii], the education and training sector accounts for almost half of all reported incidents across Australia. Despite representing only 8% of the workforce, the sector contributes to 9% of the incidents surveyed. Notably, the education sector reports an equal distribution of harassment incidents from both men and women.
Studies emphasize that learning environments in Registered Training Organizations (RTOs), both in classrooms and on the job, normalize gender inequality and perpetuate harmful behaviors leading to gender harassment.[viii] [ix] [x]This harmful environment creates significant barriers, particularly in male-dominated learning pathways and industries, hindering the participation of women and gender-diverse individuals in ongoing learning. Consequently, this perpetuates gender segregation in the labor market.
There is a consistent and explicit concern about the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender-based violence against female apprentices in male-dominated training programs, such as construction and plumbing, especially during on-the-job learning.[xi] [xii] [xiii] [xiv] [xv]Studies of the Australian adult education environment reveal that women's experiences of sexualized behavior in the classroom are often not framed as harassment[xvi]. Furthermore, evidence indicates that inappropriate behaviors are not solely perpetrated by classmates but also by educators who make sexualized comments or implicitly or explicitly permit poor behaviors in the learning environment.[xvii] [xviii] [xix]
One of the root causes of sexual harassment and workplace gender-based violence is the promotion of gender stereotypes that foster inequity and create conditions enabling such violence. Industry practices, supported by evidence, demonstrate that the vocational system's structure perpetuates and reinforces gender stereotypes, contributing to an increased risk of sexual harassment.
References
[i] American Association of University Women (AAUW) Limiting our Livelihoods: The cumulative impact of sexual harassment women’s careers November 2019 https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/limiting-our-livelihoods/
[ii] McLaughlin H, Uggen C, Blackstone A. THE ECONOMIC AND CAREER EFFECTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON WORKING WOMEN. Gend Soc. 2017 Jun;31(3):333-358. doi: 10.1177/0891243217704631. Epub 2017 May 10. PMID: 29056822; PMCID: PMC5644356.
[iii] The Hon. Brendan O’Connor MP Minister for Skills and Training Media Release Gender imbalance in workforce contributing to skills shortages 6 March 2023 https://ministers.dewr.gov.au/oconnor/gender-imbalance-workforce-contributing-skills-shortages#:~:text=Analysis%20from%20Jobs%20and%20Skills,cent%20of%20their%20total%20workforce.
[iv] Jobs and Skills Australia News Item Is gender inequality impacting fill rates? November 29 2023 https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/news/gender-inequality-impacting-fill-rates
[v] WorkSafe Victoria WorkWell Respect Fund Guidelines Edition 1 April 2023
[vi] Australian Human Rights Commission, Everyone’s Business: Fourth National Survey on Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces 2018
[vii] Australian Human Rights Commission Time for respect: Fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces 2022
[viii] Donna Bridges, Elizabeth Wulff, Branka Krivokapic-Skoko & Larissa Bamberry (2022): Girls in trades: tokenism and sexual harassment inside the VET classroom, Journal of Vocational Education & Training, DOI: 10.1080/13636820.2022.2084768
[ix] Vaughan, K. 2017. “The Role of Apprenticeship in the Cultivation of Soft Skills and Dispositions.” Journal of Vocational Education & Training 69 (4): 540–557. doi:10.1080/13636820.2017.1326516.
[x] Niemeyer, B., and H. Colley. 2015. “Why Do We Need (Another) Special Issue on Gender and VET?” Journal of Vocational Education & Training 67 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1080/13636820.2014.971498.
[xi] Johansson, M., K. Johansson, and E. Andersson. 2018. “#metoo in the Swedish Forest Sector: Testimonies from Harassed Women on Sexualised Forms of Male Control.” Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 33: 419–425. doi:10.1080/02827581.2018.1474248
[xii] McFarlane, A, D. Bridges, and R. Townsend 4 December 2020. “A Culture of Retribution’, Sex Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying – The Undue Costs of Women Working in Ambulance Services in Australia”. The Women’s Agenda. https://womensagenda.com.au/ latest/a-culture-of-retribution-sex-discrimination-harassment-and-bullying-the-unduecosts-of-women-working-in-ambulance-services-in-australia/
[xiii] Menches, C., and D. M. Abraham. 2007. “Women in Construction: Tapping the Untapped Resource to Meet Future Demands.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 133 (9): 701–707. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2007)133:9(701).
[xiv] Holdsworth, S., Turner, M., Scott-Young, C., & Sandri, K. (2020). Women in Construction: Exploring the Barriers and Supportive Enablers of Wellbeing in the Workplace. Melbourne: RMIT University.
[xv] Francis, V., Chugh, R., Yang, W., Tivendale, L., & Cunningham, E. (July 2021). The Evaluation of the Victorian Women in Construction Strategy Program,. The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne.
[xvi] Rommes, E., W. Faulkner, and I. van Slooten. 2005. “Changing Lives: The Case for Women-Only Vocational Technology Training Revisited.” Journal of Vocational Education & Training 57 (3): 293–317. doi:10.1080/13636820500200288.
[xvii] Rochelle Banks (2023) Culture, complaint and confidentiality: an autoethnographic exploration of sexual harassment, Gender and Education, 35:4, 315-9,DOI:10.1080/09540253.2023.2167945
[xviii] Nisbet, L., Halse, G., van Esbroek, E., Heywood, W., Powell, A. & Myers, P. (2022). National Student Safety Survey: Qualitative research on experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault among university students in 2021. Melbourne: The Social Research Centre.
[xix] Stolk, J., Gross, M., & Zastaavker, Y. (2021). Motivation, pedagogy, and gender: Examining the multifaceted and dynamic situational responses of women and men in college STEM courses. International Journal of STEM Education, 8.
Women’s Health in the South East (Lead Agency)
For over 30 years, Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) has been the regional women’s health promotion, advocacy and support service for the 10 Local Government Area covering Southern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne. WHISE is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on empowering women. We work to improve the health and well-being of women in our region by providing health information and education to governments, organisations, education providers, and community groups. Our team of health promotion professionals work to promote gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and prevent of violence against women.
Women’s Health East (Capacity Building and Campaign Design Partner)
Women's Health East is the regional women’s health services for Melbourne’s eastern region. Women's Health East, with 30 years of experience, collaborates at local, state, and national levels to address gender-based violence in workplaces and communities. They are leaders on intersectional gender equality in their region, and have strong capability in project management, impact management, and building the capability and capacity of workers, leaders and community to advance gender equality. Women’s Health East has strong expertise in leading projects that amplify the voices of women with lived experience by centring their expertise in initiatives to prevent violence against women. Their work extends to promoting women’s health and wellbeing in partnership with various organisations and individuals.
The Men’s Project – Jesuit Social Services (Capacity Building Partner)
Jesuit Social Services has worked with men and boys for 45 years. Their experience has shown them that many are struggling, causing harm to self and others. The Men’s Project, An initiative of Jesuit Social Services supports men and boys to live respectful, accountable and fulfilling lives free from violence and other harmful behaviours..
The Men’s Project has delivered primary prevention programs which seek to address the underlying of causes of gendered violence in a range of TAFE and educational settings. They have also delivered gendered-violence prevention capability-building programs to hundreds of educators in Victoria.
Women’s Health Goulburn North East (Developer of website and online learning modules)
Based in regional Victoria, Women’s Health Goulburn North East (WHGNE) covers 12 local government areas across Goulburn Valley and the north east of the State. WHGNE is a feminist organisation, leading change towards women’s empowerment, women’s health, the prevention of violence against women and ultimately, gender equality, in rural and regional Victoria. WHGNE makes their expertise accessible to our communities through highly-regarded research, resources and toolkits, which we encourage you to read and use in your workplace organisation.
WHGNE also work with community groups, organisations and workplaces to develop and deliver information and practical tools, consultations, coaching, training, workshops and facilitated conversations.
Victorian Tafe Association (Industry partner)
The VTA is a not-for-profit organisation that informs, supports and represents the interests of the Victorian TAFE sector, including Victoria’s 12 TAFE institutes, four dual sector universities and AMES Australia.
The VTA proudly champions the interests of public vocational education providers with a focus on sustainability, quality, and outcomes for industry, community and learners.
ITECA (Industry Partner)
Founded in 1992, ITECA was known as the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET). The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) is a membership-based peak body bringing together independent providers in the higher education, vocational education and training sectors.
Latest News
