The sound of her colleagues' laughter faded away as the office gradually emptied for the night. Jenny* remained at her desk, her face illuminated by the phosphorescent glow of her computer screen, the only light in an otherwise darkening room. Friday night drinks with friends would have to wait because her boss, Simon*, had asked her to work late again. She wasn't happy but as she'd just landed her job in a small-town Queensland manufacturing firm, she could hardly say no.

But as Jenny, 25, heard footsteps coming towards her, she braced herself for what she knew would come next. Her married, 50-something boss approached her from behind, ostensibly to look at the work on her screen, but at the same time taking the opportunity to press his groin and paunchy beer belly into her shoulder. Shuddering involuntarily, Jenny shifted uncomfortably in her seat but he moved with her, the pressure becoming more insistent. Casually, he rested a heavy hand on her shoulder and almost imperceptibly tweaked the bra strap beneath her crisp cotton shirt.

"At the time I didn't know what to do," says Jenny, who wasn't even sure that much of what she experienced actually constituted harassment. "Simon's behaviour made me feel extremely uncomfortable, but I didn't know who I could complain to because it was his company."

Unfortunately, Jenny isn't the only young woman feeling confused about her rights at work. In workplaces all over Australia, women are experiencing the same mix of uncertainty, shame and distress - and many are too embarrassed or fearful to speak out.

The situation is so bad that incoming federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has identified sexual harassment as one of the biggest issues facing Australian women today. "When I took on this role at the end of last year, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the issues I would face," she says. "But I have been genuinely shocked by just how pervasive sexual harassment in Australian society seems to be."

Read the full story in the September issue of marie claire.

If you are being sexually harassed...

• Document the harassment as it occurs, says Terri Bruno. Note down the times and details of the behaviour, and keep a paper trail of any emails, text messages etc.
  Your supervisor or manager must take your complaint seriously, quickly and confidentially investigate the harassment, and take appropriate measures to end the harassment without 'victimising' you for bringing the complaint.
  If you don't feel as if your complaint will be dealt with properly at work you can lodge a complaint with your union, or your state anti-discrimination body (see below), which will then investigate the harassment on your behalf.
  If your complaint isn't resolved at conciliation level (as the majority are), you or your legal representation can take your case to the Federal Magistrates Court.

National
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), 1800 620 241

State & Territory
New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board, 1800 670 812
Anti-Discrimination Commission of Tasmania, (03) 6233 3122
Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission, 1300 130 680
Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission, 1800 134 142
Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission, 1800 198 149
South Australian Equal Opportunity Commission, 1800 188 163
Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Office, (02) 6207 0525
Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission, 1800 813 846