Women and non-binary people in the music industry have spoken out about how cis-gendered men can make their jobs safer. Content warning: sexual assault, harassment and discrimination. *Some names have been changed. Yesterday an open letter penned by musician Anna Coddington (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) was made public amid the fallout of Alison Mau’s exposé for … Read more
On Sunday, Stuff published a months-long investigation by Alison Mau detailing allegations of harassment and exploitation within the local music industry. The piece, ‘Music industry professionals demand change after speaking out about its dark side’, includes allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power by male artists, international acts and executives; the men named are … Read more
An Auckland bar attracted heat last month for hosting a US election party attended by MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters. Three former employees have come forward to say that incident is the least of its issues. Former staff of popular Auckland bar Hoppers have come forward with allegations about the working environment they encountered there, including … Read more
The harassment of teaching assistants by students in tertiary institutions is a widespread but under-reported problem, write Sarah Ives and Ann E. Bartos When the #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, it exposed widespread sexual harassment in the workplace, and academia was no exception. Yet the Covid-19 pandemic has dimmed the spotlight on this issue … Read more
Concerns have been raised about alleged patterns of inappropriate behaviour by two fashion photographers towards young women. It could mark the beginning of a reckoning for the industry, Ensemble‘s Zoe Walker Ahwa reports for Ensemble and The Spinoff. This story contains discussion of sexual harassment Allegations of inappropriate behaviour and an abuse of power by … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Auckland drought leads to fears of severe water restrictions, exclusive new poll results on government’s Covid-19 response, and is a resolution coming at Ihumātao? The Auckland water crisis isn’t getting any better, and the city’s leaders are getting extremely nervous about the coming months. That is … Read more
On Wednesday night, Young Act’s vice president announced her resignation, citing ongoing harassment. The executive is now promising a cultural overhaul, reports Josie Adams. Young Act, the youth branch of right-wing political party Act, has been accused of fostering a culture of sexual harassment and slut-shaming, leading to the resignation of its vice president in … Read more
Sexual harassment and assault are an issue in all walks of life, but addressing the problem is particularly difficult when the perpetrator holds public office. Today campaigner Carrie Buckmaster launches a parliamentary petition calling for more transparency on the issue. The ongoing Labour Party scandal around handling of sexual harassment allegations is nothing new, and … Read more
Cave à Vin founder Zane Kelsall says he has been in ‘intense therapy’ following sexual misconduct claims in Halifax. Last week, The Spinoff published a story about Cave à Vin, a new wine bar on Auckland’s North Shore. The story hailed the vision of its owner, Zane Kelsall, who had recently emigrated from Canada with … Read more
A ‘wake-up call’ has been issued to businesses and the health and safety sector. A system that puts the onus on victims to come forward and face an intimidating complaints process needs a fundamental overhaul After decades of preventable workplace accidents and deaths caused largely by the nation’s ‘she’ll be right’ attitude, New Zealand’s health … Read more
A report into bullying and harassment has exposed allegations of sexual assault and huge problems with parliament’s culture and reporting systems. The Francis Report, presented by Speaker Trevor Mallard and independent external reviewer Debbie Francis this morning, established that bullying and harassment are “systemic in the parliamentary workplace”. It took into account individual anonymous stories … Read more
In the same week that a petition was launched to ban “sexist” ride-sharing app DriveHer, Uber has launched a new initiative to end gender violence in their cars. Uber has launched a new safety initiative in New Zealand and Australia called Driving Change, part of a commitment to preventing gender-based violence for users of the … Read more
When doctors, teachers, police and care workers take advantage of society’s most vulnerable, the results can be devastating. But how are public employers responding to reports of sexual assault and harassment? Not well enough, writes researcher Carrie Buckmaster, who offers some recommendations for change. November 7 2018 was New Zealand’s first ‘Public Service Day’: a … Read more
Here are some of the issues an internal probe following the Jami Lee-Ross saga will confront. The National Party leader faced a bit of blowback for commissioning an inquiry into the leaking of his expenses. He’s unlikely to face much criticism, however, for the inquiry he commissioned today. After a week-long fusillade from Jami-Lee Ross, … Read more
Allegations raised today by four women about the conduct of rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross, and the response to complaints, send a bleak message to women in Aotearoa, writes Morgan Tait. Remember that time a senior political figure was the subject of a long and sustained pattern of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of women … Read more
As Russell McVeagh hits the headlines again for inappropriate behaviour by a senior staff member, former lawyer Sacha Judd says time is up on the bullying, macho, sexist culture of the legal profession. This speech was given last night at the Auckland University Law Review Alumni Dinner. I was an editor of the Auckland University … Read more
“Both the board and college leaders have been crystal clear this behaviour cannot continue.” Otago University halls of residence Selwyn College has shut down its controversial tradition of second years secretly voting on and publicly awarding nicknames to freshers at their AGM after previous recipients accused the awards of being “sexist and bullying”. Among the … Read more
Could a safety campaign called ‘Ask for Angela’ save women from creeps and predators in New Zealand? Katie Scotcher reports, in a piece originally published on Radio NZ. A safety campaign to help people whose dates go horribly wrong has launched in Sydney – and there are calls to bring it across the ditch. “Ask … Read more
Following allegations of sexual misconduct first reported by Newsroom, the law firm Russell McVeagh commissioned an independent review, conducted by Dame Margaret Bazley. Today she has published her findings. Below is her overview. The report can be read in full here. In February 2018, the law firm Russell McVeagh asked me to review claims that … Read more
NZME journalist Georgina Campbell has created a new podcast about the #metoo movement. She speaks to Alex Braae about how media coverage of sexual harassment and abuse has changed in the months since the Weinstein stories broke In the first episode of Speaking Secrets, a new podcast series about the Me Too movement, journalist Georgina … Read more
Harassment in the legal profession doesn’t exclusively affect women, writes Auckland lawyer Jason Cooper. It affects us all – and all of us have a responsibility to speak up. It’s been a few months since the allegations of sexual misconduct in the legal profession were reported. Since then, many victims of sexual harassment in the … Read more
The race relations commissioner has today voiced an apology for handling of sexual harassment claims, called for resignations and paid tribute to colleagues, following the publication of a ministerial review identifying a ‘schism’ within the Commission Susan Devoy has declared herself “devastated and deeply sorry” over the way the Human Rights Commission handled sexual harassment allegations … Read more
This week it was announced that Dame Susan Devoy will not be seeking another term as Race Relations Commissioner. Here she pays tribute to her colleagues at the Human Rights Commission, and calls on those who failed staff in relation to sexual harassment allegations to do the right thing and step aside. People who are … Read more
Commute week: Some encounter it routinely, for others its existence may come as a surprise. Is enough being done to combat sexual harassment on our public transport networks? Alex Casey talks to the people trying to change your commute for the better. It was, sadly, the first penis I ever saw in real life. I … Read more
Public conventions like Armageddon Expo allow cosplayers to celebrate their biggest pop culture passions. But, as Alex Casey found out, they can also be an opportunity for unwanted photography, groping and harassment. When I was at university, I did some extremely fun part-time work for a team building company that required me having to dress … Read more
In this podcast companion to the Spinoff investigation into the NZ magazine Pavement, two of the women at the centre of the story speak with Noelle McCarthy about their experiences. Today the Spinoff published a story, five months in the making, which details multiple claims of predatory behaviour by men who owned and worked for Pavement, … Read more
From State Services to Russell McVeagh, from the Human Rights Commission to the Labour Party, a clear pattern emerges in sexual harassment stories across NZ, and it reveals we just don’t take the issue seriously, argues Catriona MacLennan. Sexual harassment is still not regarded a serious issue in Aotearoa. That is what we have learned … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. Labour’s launched an investigation after reports of sexual harassment and assault at a party run youth camp, glaciers on the Southern Alps are in bad shape, and Lyttelton Port workers have gone on strike. The Labour Party has launched an investigation after reports of sexual harassment and assault taking … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Ali Mau about the launch of #MeTooNZ, a nationwide investigation into sexual harassment and assault. Ali Mau has never been busier. Not even one week after she launched #MeTooNZ, a nationwide investigation into workplace sexual harassment, Mau has been inundated with calls from hundreds of survivors wanting to share their experiences from … Read more