Article provided by Emma Golledge, Centre Director at Kingsford Legal Centre
Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC) has identified sexual harassment as a key strategic focus of its state-wide discrimination work. As a response to community need KLC has launched a specialist Sexual Harassment Legal Service.
For almost 40 years KLC has been providing specialist discrimination advice to people experiencing sexual harassment as well as undertaking community legal education and law reform work. The Centre hopes that the Sexual Harassment Legal Service will bring these activities together with a view to advocating for systemic legal, cultural and institutional change.
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s landmark Respect@Work report highlighted what community legal centres already know – that sexual harassment is widespread in Australian workplaces and has a devastating impact on the people who experience it.
KLC collaborated in 2019 with Women’s Legal Service, Redfern Legal Centre and Community Legal Centres Australia to document the current problems with the law. We want to continue this work.
We hope to focus our law reform work in improving legal options and processes for people who have experienced sexual harassment, to look at ways in which the system can be improved and to work collaboratively with other services. The service is open to people across NSW and will provide advice and casework. The Centre aims to focus on people in lower paid, insecure and marginalised work but covers all types of sexual harassment – not just at work.
Clients can access the service on 1300 722 795 or email the service at legal@unsw.edu.au. Community legal centres are most welcome to provide a warm referral.