The dark underbelly of Australian workplaces was exposed. Now migrants are being asked for their stories. Rape, sexual assault, harassment: What's the difference? Street-based sex work is now legal in Victoria. One in six Australian university students say they have been sexually harassed. How can this be stopped? This article is more than 1 year old. Susan is a professional massage therapist but regularly gets asked for a 'happy ending'.
Migrant women in Australia are having to negotiate sexual harassment in their workplace, with industry experts saying there is a racial element behind it. Published 15 September am. Key Points Migrant women in Australia are having to negotiate sexual harassment in their workplace. Susan not her real name arrived in Australia as an international student from Thailand more than a decade ago.
Susan not her real name arrived in Australia as an international student from Thailand more than a decade ago and has been working as a professional massage therapist for almost the entire time. As part of her visa arrangement, she was allowed to work for 20 hours a week and so found a job doing housekeeping, as well as shifts as a massage therapist in Sydney. Masseuse work can be one of the easier jobs to get for someone who doesn't speak English well, she says, but over time she came to enjoy the profession.
But while Susan loves her job, sexual harassment is a regular occurrence. I love my work. Susan not pictured has received inappropriate requests throughout her career. Professor Segrave says around 1, responses had been received to an online survey.
The harassment Susan has experienced has varied. Some of the men have tried to touch her leg or another part of her body while she was massaging them, she says. When she was working in Sydney, it often happened daily. They try to touch the body, when you are not aware. Some clients try to "bargain" a price for what they want, others will find an excuse to shift the modesty towels covering them and "open their body" to her.
