The inquiry is being led by Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, who is in Wodonga on Wednesday for La Trobe University’s Women in Leadership forum.

Speaking to The Border Mail ahead of the event, Ms Jenkins said much of her work this year had centred around the inquiry, announced in June.

“We have opened submissions and are preparing for our national consultations, and we will be coming to Albury-Wodonga,” she said.

“To our knowledge, globally there has never been an independent human rights agency that has conducted such a significant inquiry into the issue.

“We expect our report will attract attention in other countries; the U.K. and the U.S. have a real issue of workplace harassment as well.”

The inquiry will visit every capital city and less than five regional centres, with hearings expected to take place on the Border towards the end of the year.

Wednesday night’s annual forum is focused on sport, and Ms Jenkins plans to discuss growth in opportunity for women in certain fields.

“I’m on the panel with an an AFLW player, and I’m an AFL girl, so we’ll talk about what is being done for grassroots sport and girls playing on local grounds like my daughter,” she said. 

“We’ll talk about the positives, but what challenges remain, such as access to facilities, participation, opportunities to be leaders – like being presidents of local clubs rather than running the tuck-shop – and getting sponsors and media coverage.”

The forum will also discuss wider barriers to gender equality and takes place following a number of high-profile sexual assault cases and family violence murders this year.

“We know at least one woman a week is dying at the hands of a current or former partner,” Ms Jenkins said.

“That’s been the facts for a while, but coverage of these cases has more people realising the nature of the problem.

“I’m really confident we have a community that wants to change.”

Ms Jenkins will join AFL North East Border’s John O’Donohue, Collingwood AFLW player Iilish Ross, and Carol McKinstry of La Trobe’s Rural Health School at the forum, supported by Wodonga Council, YWCA and Business Women Albury-Wodonga.

Sales from tickets go to scholarships for female La Trobe students, and can be purchased at latrobe.edu.au/events/all/women-in-leadership-forum.