Quarter of Qantas crew say they were sexually harassed in past year

A quarter of cabin crew working at Qantas Airways were sexually harassed by a colleague over the past 12 months but only 3% reported it to the airline, according to a group-wide audit.  A review commissioned by the Australian airline in the wake of the #MeToo movement found that a third of those who did not report sexual harassment said it was because they were able to put a stop to the harassment themselves. Others said it was because they feared they would be ostracised, not taken seriously or it would damage their careers, according to a summary of the findings circulated to staff on Monday.  “To be clear, we have zero tolerance for any form of abuse or discrimination in any part of the Qantas Group,” said Rachel Yangoyan, COO, Australian Airports at Qantas, in an email to cabin crew. “If you experience or witness behaviour that is unacceptable, I encourage you to speak up.”  Sexual harassment has become a big corporate concern over the past two years owing to the #MeToo movement. Trade unions representing cabin crew have said sexual harassment is a particular problem in the global airline industry, where some female employees are still forced to wear high heels and make-up. Staff must often work irregular hours and stay in overseas locations. Women are woefully under represented at executive level: a 2017 survey found that just 3% of airline CEs were women. <br/>