Section 1: Introduction Effective approaches to primary prevention Government action to prevent sexual harassment There is a growing body of research on effective approaches to primary prevention in relation to violence against women. The evidence base on the prevention of sexual assault and intimate partner violence is better developed than other forms of violence against women.34 However, given that sexual harassment and other forms of violence are driven by the same underlying societal norms and practices, a range of principles and approaches to primary prevention from this research are relevant to sexual harassment, including: To be effective, primary prevention needs long-term sustained effort and a high level of leadership and political will.42 • addressing intersecting forms of harassment and discrimination (for example, relating to a person’s race, sexual orientation or disability)35 • using a whole-of-community approach to address different aspects of the problem across multiple settings, including workplaces, media, education, arts, and sports36 • considering the effectiveness of strategies that have been implemented previously37 • encouraging bystanders to take action38 • engaging men and boys in prevention39 • monitoring and evaluation40 • dealing with backlash or resistance to prevention efforts.41 24 In Australia, a coordinated national policy approach to addressing violence against women is currently provided by the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022 (the National Plan), endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).43 The National Plan is supported by a series of four three-year Action Plans. Neither the National Plan nor the first three Action Plans directly identify sexual harassment as an area for action. The Fourth Action Plan was endorsed in August 2019 and specifically includes the following actions which address sexual harassment: • prevent sexual violence and sexual harassment before it happens through national and targeted initiatives that promote informed consent, bodily autonomy and respectful relationships • deliver client-centred, traumainformed, specialised and consistent support to victims and survivors of sexual violence • strengthen the capacity of all sectors to address sexual harassment to ensure women are safe at work, while studying, in public and online.44