Half of women working in STEM, and one in ten men say they have been sexually harassed, according to a survey by peak lobby Science and Technology Australia.

And 70 per cent of people say they did not report it, for reasons including fear of reprisal and because they thought nothing would change.

“The STEM sector is not yet meeting the expectations of its workforce … the prevalence of sexual harassment is high.,’ STA warns.

The survey “informs” STA’s submission to the Human Rights Commission inquiry into sexual harasssment in the workplace.

STA recommendations to address harassment include;

* anonymity for harassment accusations. “STA understands the importance of natural justice, we are also very aware that the reporting of sexual harassment within the workplace, especially in cases of a power imbalance, can come with reprisals to the complainant”

* harassers convicted in the courts losing federal research funding and being stripped of professional honours

* legislation preventing non-disclosure agreements silencing survivors of harassment

* protections for research students, including all STEM organisations adopting the Principles for Respectful Supervisory Relationships (2017)

Postgrads call for protection: The Council of Australian Postgraduate Association backs STA’s call for formal adoption of the supervisor relationship principles. According to CAPA president Natasha Abrahams, “uptake of the principles by universities has been disappointing.”

“Research students are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour from their supervisor due to the power differential, as students rely on supervisors for the success of their research and their future career,” she says.