Small Steps | Safe Workplaces: Sexual Harassment Conference 2026

The Program

• 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

  18 November 2026 | Welcome Reception | RACV Hobart Hotel (Level 1/154-156 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000)

  Susan Price, Assistant Principal Solicitor, Women's Legal Service NSW as MC 5:00pm | Registrations Open 5:30pm | Welcome to Small Steps 2026, Acknowledgment, House Keeping and address from Rachel Watson, CEO, Hydro Tasmania 5:45pm | Our Silence is not for Sale | Non Disclosure Agreement Reform Abbey Kendall, CEO, Working Women's Centre Australia Jennifer Jones, Principal Solicitor and Legal Director, Workers’ Rights, Westjustice Anna Hough, Lived Experience Advocate, Our Silence Is Not For Sale Campaign 6:30pm | Welcome Reception Sponsored by Hydro Tasmania 7:30pm | Sessions Conclude

• 8:00 am - 5:10 pm

  19 November 2026 | Conference Day 1 | RACV Hobart Hotel (Level 1/154-156 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000)

  Susan Price, Women's Legal Service NSW as MC 8:00am | Registrations Open 8:30am | Welcome, house keeping and address from Yvette Cehtel, CEO, Women's Legal Service Tasmania 8:45am | Welcome to Country Nala Mansell, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre 9:30am | Delegate Grounding Activity Sharon King, Social Worker, Working Women's Centre Tasmania 9:40am | A Social Workers Role - A Value Add or Integrated Imperative Facilitator: Sharon King, Social Worker, Working Women's Centre Tasmania Anna Gilet, Assistant Managing Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Emma Sherwood, Social Worker Team Leader, Women's Legal Centre ACT Georgina Cahill, Social Worker, Working Women's Centre WA 10:40am | Morning tea & Trade Stall Exhibition 11:00am Concurrent Session | Navigating Multiple Claims - Balancing Best Legal Outcomes with Complainants Wellbeing Ms Emily Latif, Barrister Alex McKenzie, Director, McLean McKenzie & Topfer 11:00am Concurrent Session | 'What is a Good Sexual Harassment Complaint': Looking at the difference between jurisdictions in the application of discretion regarding extending the time limit. Ms Sally Sievers AO, Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tasmania Josie Hullick, Director, NT Anti-Discrimination Commission 12:00pm | The Hon. Chief Justice Debra Mortimer, Federal Court of Australia in Conversation with Ms Kate Eastman AM SC 1:00pm | Lunch & Trade Stall Exhibition 1:45pm | Rights in Practice: Human Rights Law a a Tool for Sexual Harassment Litigation & Advocacy Ms Kate Eastman AM SC 2:45pm Concurrent Session | Beyond the Complaint: Barriers to Justice for Victim-Survivors Dr Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong Dominique Allen, Professor, Director of Research, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School, Monash University 2:45pm Concurrent Session | Innovating Compliance | The Positive Duty in Action: A deep dive into the positive duty Tanaya Roy, Senior Advisor, Intersection Georgie Langford, Employment Counsel, Workplace Integrity Liz Radcliff, Executive Director, WorkSafe Tasmania 3:45pm | Afternoon Tea & Trade Stall Exhibition 4:10pm Concurrent Session | The Positive Duty & the Burden on the Individual - Are we there yet? The introduction of Part IIA of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) promised an evolution of Australia's complaints-based discrimination law, shifting the burden of equality from the individual to the institution. Has Part IIA delivered as promised, or does the burden of equality remain with the individual? Ms Sarah McCarthy, Barrister 4:10pm Concurrent Session | Collective Wisdom, A Reflective & Restorative Art Workshop Anna Gilet, Assistant Managing Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Dilsah, Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Meave Lu, Lawyer, Working Women's Centre QLD 5:10pm | Sessions Conclude

• 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

  19 November 2026 | Conference Dinner | Hosted at RACV Hobart Hotel (Level 1/154-156 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000)

  A formal dinner including a two course meal (main and dessert) Susan Price, Assistant Principal Solicitor, Women's Legal Service NSW as MC 6:00pm | Registration Opens 6:30pm | Formal Conference Dinner 6:45pm | The Positive Duty | Leading by Example The Hon. Justice Jacqueline Gleeson, High Court of Australia 9:30pm | Sessions Conclude

• 8:00 am - 3:30 pm

  20 November 2026 | Conference Day 2 | Hosted at RACV Hobart Hotel (Level 1/154-156 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000)

  Susan Price, Assistant Principal Solicitor, Women's Legal Service NSW as MC 8:00am | Registrations Open 8:30am | Welcome, Acknowledgment & House Keeping 8:45am | The Art of Persuasion | What Persuades the Bench & Other Decision Makers? The Hon. Justice Jacqueline Gleeson in Conversation with Ms Sarah Wright, Barrister 9:45am Concurrent Session | From Prevention to Practice: Building Safer Workplaces Maddie Bowen, Community Educator, Working Women's Centre Tasmania Carolyn Self, Social Enterprise & Business Development Manager, Engender Equality Kate Johnstone, Primary Prevention Manager, Sexual Assault Support Service Prabha Nandagopal, Founder, Elevate Consulting Partners Dr Caitlin Connolly, Psychologist, Workplace Wellbeing | Policy and Projects, WorkSafe Tasmania 9:45am Concurrent Session | Achieving systemic outcomes in sexual harassment matters - a practical demonstration of our step-by-step guide for legal advocates Megan Pearce, Managing Lawyer, Equality Law Program, Victoria Legal Aid Melanie Schleiger, Melanie Schleiger Legal 10:45am | Morning tea & Trade Stall Exhibition 11:05am | Reconciling Complainant Protections with Cross Examination by Self Represented Respondents Ms Cathy Dowsett SC 12:05pm | Panel Discussion: Beyond “Trauma-Informed”: What Does Safety Look Like? How to reduce overwhelm, support connection and centre social justice. Facilitator: Anna Gilet, Assistant Managing Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Dr Lucy Mercer-Mapstone, Policy, Advocacy and Lived Experience Lead, Laurel House Sexual Assault Support Service Sneha Saptoka, Advocates for Change (Lived Expertise) Coordinator at Engender Equality Anna Hough, Lived Experience Advocate, Our Silence Is Not For Sale Campaign 1:05pm | Lunch & Final Trade Stall Exhibition 1:35pm | Collective Wisdom - A Workshop to Consolidate ur Learning and Connections Anna Gilet, Assistant Managing Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Dilsah, Social Worker, Working Women's Centre QLD Meave Lu, Lawyer, Working Women's Centre QLD 2:05pm | Remedies for Sexual Harassment: Changing Paradigms Examination of the current trend towards 'medicalisation' of loss and the prospect of advancing different conceptualisation of loss that may be available drawing on overseas examples. Ms Prue Bindon, Barrister 3:05pm | Close with Susan Price, including Prize Draw 3:25pm | Conference Concludes