SYDNEY (Reuters) – An Australian state government inquiry into sexual harassment in the country’s mineral-rich west found the mining industry has perpetuated a culture that fails to protect women, who continue to face sexual harassment and sexual assault.
“Poor culture, gender inequality, and power disparity in the industry has led to unacceptably high levels of disgraceful behaviour across the industry,” Libby Mettam, the chair of the inquiry, said on Thursday after the report was released in parliament.
Women have long complained of sexual harassment in so-called “fly in, fly out” (FIFO) mining camps in Western Australia, home to the bulk of the country’s iron ore mines.
The report contains 79 findings and 24 recommendations.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Byron Kaye; editing by Richard Pullin)
