The current inflexibility of working arrangements in many workplaces mitigates against women's full participation in the workforce, particularly those women with prime carer responsibilities. Women represent the greater proportion of carers , with nearly double the number of women than men having primary responsibility as carers. Many workplaces remain unfriendly to women, with cultures which are unsupportive of women's full participation and which devalue women's contributions. Stereotypical attitudes about women workers, and assumptions about the type of work appropriate to women, continue to limit women's opportunities in the workforce and sometimes result in direct and indirect discrimination against them. On a broader level, the threat of violence is a key factor impacting on women's feelings of self-worth and on their capacity to participate fully in public life.
Domestic violence can seriously limit women's ability to participate in both paid and unpaid work.
Physical and emotional violence against women in the workplace often manifests as sexual harassment and workplace bullying , and continues to be covertly condoned within some workplace cultures. A special report on women in business in the Small Business Index published by Yellow Pages Australia in 1996 revealed that two-thirds of women surveyed believe that they have found some barriers to success . Violence against women impacts on their emotional, physical and mental well being. Victims of domestic and sexual violence often suffer long-term trauma. Further, they may not seek appropriate medical assistance due to embarrassment or fear of humiliation .