Women working at Australian research camps in Antarctica have reported widespread sexual harassment.
The book provides evidence of physical contact of uninvited guests, requests for sex, and predatory cultures that tolerate pornography on walls and sexual teasing.
They also felt that women had to hide their periods and be given tampons and pads because of the many restrictions.
Authorities condemned the findings and promised to bring about cultural change.
Australia’s Environment Minister Tanya Privasek said she was “shocked” by the independent review of the Australian Antarctic Authority’s (AAD) facility. This review was initiated following a complaint from an individual.
“As a minister, I will not tolerate sexual harassment in my workplace,” Privatesek told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Australia’s Antarctic Observatory is located on the easternmost tip of the continent and includes the Casey, Davis and Mawson laboratories.
In the summer, an expeditionary force of 500 people is sent, but in the winter, it is reduced to the extent that about 15 to 30 key personnel enter the camp. Doctors, cooks, foremen, etc., these workers often live on the station for a year.
The author of the report, Professor Meredith Nash of the Australian National University, said: “Women in camps feel that the remote and isolated environment makes it impossible to escape or find immediate help. “It has said.
They “have to work in camps with their perpetrators for weeks because they can’t leave,” they told ABC, which first reported the findings on Friday.
“Or, because of the power struggle, she is not in a situation where she is as ready to complain or get help as she is in her own country,” she added.
The report also found a culture of homophobia in male-dominated sectors, noting that people were afraid to speak out because they didn’t want to be excluded from future exploration.
In such a male-dominated environment, female scientists reportedly felt pressured to hide their periods for fear of male judgment.
The voucher application system also ‘forces women to go through the gatekeepers to get free sanitary products’, reflecting the poorly supported camp infrastructure.
AAD Director Kim Ellis said it has already implemented the report’s recommendations.
“We are deeply concerned about the experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination and exclusion that are being talked about in our workplaces.”
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