Sexual harassment in the work place is a challenge to which we all must rise if women at going to gain access to any kind of economic equality with men. However, the last decade has seen our basic rights to a safe workplace free from harassment seriously challenged politically, legally and culturally. And as a result the incidence of abuse has skyrocketed.

We know that women still endure constant sexual harassment at work and elsewhere. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission reported in 2001/02 that there had been a 700 per cent increase in complaints about sexual harassment over the previous ten years.

Sexual assaults remain disturbingly prevalent, seem to be increasing and the rates of successful prosecution for these offences is declining. The same is true of domestic violence, a difficult area in which to obtain precise statistics, but we do know that services such as women's refuges that cater to victims report they have never been busier.

We know women are still fired for being pregnant and they continue to be sacked while on maternity leave. This is a blatant breach of both state and federal anti-discrimination laws yet employers calculate that the risk of being prosecuted is so small that they do it anyway.

Even in high profile cases such as the terminating of the contract of Channel 9 reporter Christine Spiteri late last year while she was on maternity leave. The arrogance of these employers is breath taking. Isn't it time these laws were enforced?

[Spiteri has taken her case to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, which failed at its attempt to conciliate, and the case is now before the federal court.  In papers tabled as part of that case, Spiteri alleges that her boss, the head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 9, told her that in order to appear on air at that network, women had to "look fuckable".]

Perhaps key are the areas of discrimination, which of course includes sexual harassment, and violence against women and children. Each of these issues came up strongly in the recent Listening Tour of Australia conducted by Elizabeth Broderick, the new Sex Discrimination Commissioner, and which have formed the basis for her Plan of Action towards Gender Equality, announced last month.

First, the Sex Discrimination Act. No area suffered more under Howard, with the powers of the Commissioner being cut, the budget being slashed and the entire area being undervalued and its advice ignored. 

We are very fortunate that Elizabeth Broderick is already proving to be an able and effective advocate for women, but she needs to be given more powers and to be adequately resourced.  In the May budget HREOC's budget was significantly cut.  Not a good start.

Labor policy provides for the federal Sex Discrimination Act to be reviewed and strengthened to take account of changes to society since it was first introduced in 1984. On 26 June the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, headed by Senator Trish Crossin, announced its inquiry into the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act. 

The terms of reference are wide, the potential for meaningful reform is there.  But what is the rush? The deadline for submissions of August 1^st, gave people only a month to prepare submissions for this very critical and complex issue. 

At the same time, there are too-short submission periods for two other vital inquiries: the Productivity Commission report on a national scheme of paid maternity leave, and the National Council to Reduce Violence among Women and Children. The latter has extended its deadline to July 31 as a result of the outcry, but it still means a significant overlap with the other two inquiries submissions deadlines - and a tremendous strain on those individuals and organisations that want to make submissions.

I think Tanya Plibersek, the Minister for the Status of Women, who established this National Council is sincere in her intention to tackle violence in ways that have not been attempted before.

But it is not enough to have a strong intention. It is not enough to review or report; sufficient time needs to be given for adequate consultation so the reviews can be comprehensive and the reports meaningful.

Anne Summers is a best-selling author and journalist who has had a long career in politics, the media and the non-government sector. Her political background includes her time as a political adviser to Prime Minister Paul Keating prior to the 1993 federal elections and she ran the Office of the Status of Women for Prime Minister Bob Hawke from 1983 to 1986.

Ms Summers also presented these ideas at the 20th annual Women, Management and Employment Relations Conference, held in Sydney in July.