In some occupations, employers impose gendered appearance requirements on their employees. In this paper we present the findings of a small sample of Australian service industry workers subject to such requirements. We analyse these empirical findings to evaluate competing proposals in the...

Most employment discrimination complaints are either declined or conciliated at a Commonwealth or State Human Rights or Equal Opportunity agency. Confidential processes mean that little is known about how the relevant legislation is applied. To investigate how the Australian Capital Territory...

We explore the way that rural women and employers perceive and react to harassing behaviour in their isolated workplaces including: their thoughts on the reactions/responses of women in the workplace to harassing behaviours ('She just keeps asking for it' ); their feelings of responsibility...

In this paper we examine the variables that appear to impact the outcome of sexual harassment complaints. We have analysed 68 sexual harassment matters heard across Australia over the six year period between 2005 to 2010. In doing so, we have ascertained the apparent differences between the...

In this paper we look at recent happenings concerning social security law and domestic violence. Several decisions have been made in which women subject to domestic violence were found to qualify for discretionary rulings under section 24 of the Social Security Act 1991 (the ‘SSA’) that a...

This paper examines the theory behind and some examples of the relationships between gender, language, cognition and perception in the context of the criminal justice system. In particular, we consider the language of domestic violence and sexual assault and how words and communication styles...

Consideration of the media's representations of women who kill highlights dominant discourses in the framing of public responses to criminal acts of a particular kind, which in turn shapes legal responses to such acts. Generally, women who commit murder are, in some way, portrayed as an...

In this paper, through the lawyers' lens, we identify some of the problems associated with pursuing workplace bullying actions in Australia. Although a new national anti-bullying regime commenced on 1 January 2014, it is still early days. However, it is already clear that the new regime is no...