The Launch of the Speaking from Experience Report
The Australian Human Rights Commission has just launched the Speaking from Experience report — a landmark initiative that places the voices of people with lived experience of workplace sexual harassment at the centre of efforts to drive systemic change.
At Working Women’s Centre Australia (WWCA), we are proud to have supported this vital project, welcoming and encouraging women and gender-diverse workers to help shape the national conversation. This report provides crucial insights into what real change looks like, directly from those who have experienced harm.
The report amplifies the voices of over 300 victim-survivors from diverse backgrounds, highlighting what needs to change in Australian workplaces to address sexual harassment effectively. It focuses on lived experience insights, especially from workers facing intersecting forms of discrimination (e.g. race, disability, gender identity, migration status).
It shows that meaningful change is driven by women and gender-diverse people, guided by advocates who deeply understand these issues. There is enormous potential for greater collaboration between policymakers, employers, and advocacy organisations like WWCA to co-design better solutions. When advocates help lead the way, we can achieve genuine, lasting reform that creates safer and more respectful workplaces.
The recommendations in the Speaking from Experience report outline practical steps to create safer, fairer, and more respectful workplaces. They focus on reducing barriers that prevent workers — especially those from diverse and marginalised backgrounds — from accessing information, safety, support, and justice after experiencing workplace sexual harassment.
A key recommendation calls for funding specialist organisations — including Working Women’s Centres, multicultural services, LGBTIQA+ organisations, youth centres, disability services, women’s services, and First Nations organisations — to deliver accessible, culturally appropriate education and outreach on workplace sexual harassment. The report also calls for stronger community awareness, culturally safe and trauma-informed responses, restrictions on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), better data collection, greater employer accountability, and investment in solutions guided by lived experience. Together, these recommendations aim to drive meaningful change and build workplaces where everyone can feel safe and valued.
Speaking from Experience and Non-Disclosure Agreements
One of the critical barriers identified in Speaking from Experience is the widespread use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in workplace sexual harassment cases. These agreements often silence victim-survivors and prevent advocates from speaking out.
The report calls for NDAs to be used only at the request of the victim-survivor, ensuring they are a tool for safety and empowerment rather than a means of shielding perpetrators. Ending the harmful misuse of NDAs is not just an Australian concern — it is part of a growing global movement to promote transparency, accountability, and the right to advocate for safer workplaces.
Our Silence is Not for Sale
In line with the Speaking from Experience report’s recommendations, WWCA supports calls for a national media campaign to raise awareness, drive prevention, and promote trauma-informed responses to workplace sexual harassment.
This aligns with our Our Silence is Not for Sale campaign, which advocates for an end to the misuse of NDAs that silence victim-survivors and block systemic change. We need laws in Australia that make NDAs unenforceable when used by the powerful to hide harmful information about serious workplace issues — and that give working women the right and power to continue speaking up. NDAs should only be used when requested by victim-survivors.
We also endorse the recommendation to expand access to justice, including the development of restorative justice options, and to restrict the use of NDAs unless requested by the victim-survivor.
Reach out to us if you want to be part of the movement! Join the 'Our Silence is Not for Sale' campaign - fill out the WWC National NDA Campaign form today!
Time for Action
We congratulate the Speaking from Experience contributors who bravely shared their experiences. The Australian Human Rights Commission has prepared resources for workers, employers, and advocates to support prevention efforts and raise awareness — all guided by lived experience.
👉 Explore the new resources: Australian Human Rights Commission Workplace Sexual Harassment Resources
👉 To read the Speaking from Experience full report: Speaking from Experience Report - What needs to change to address workplace sexual harassment
