Auckland construction workers are cat-calling women seeking refuge, staff allege

Friday, 8 April 2022

A law change will allow landowners in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch to build up to three storeys without resource consent. (Video first published in October 2021)

A support worker for a transitional housing organisation in Auckland says construction workers on a site opposite the refuge have been harassing women.

Jessica Kay works for a charity which provides temporary safe housing for women and children fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness.

She said workers contracted under Scarbro Construction frequently cat-called and harassed women arriving and leaving the safe house.

Stuff has chosen not to disclose the location of the property due to safety concerns.

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“Workers at a site across the road tend to sit next to our building when they have their lunch, and they frequently make kissing noises and cat-call our ladies that come into the refuge,” Kay said.

“I went out there one day and said ‘these are women that are here because of violence, don't you treat them like that’, and they did apologise, but the fact that these attitudes still exist within construction is pretty mind-blowing to me.

“Not only is it completely dehumanising to be turned into an object that exists for their desire, but also we're a women's refuge, and it has the potential to really trigger our ladies here and that is not OK.”

Kay said it made her feel “absolutely furious”.

A spokesman for Scarbro Construction refused comment.

In a brief phone conversation, he told Stuff: “No comment. That's not news. No comment.”

“We're not sign-written as a women's refuge for anonymity reasons, so they may not know, but there are only women and children coming and going from the building, so it is still not OK.”

A manager at a branch of the refuge, who wished to remain anonymous, told Stuff she was also aware of complaints about alleged harassment, but only recently found out it was ongoing.

“Our refuge is a place for women who have experienced homelessness, and it is something they need to be aware of as a construction company.”

She said she would “like to give them an opportunity to fix it”. She has recently complained to Scarbro Construction and is waiting their response.

She said she had previously mentioned the harassment to someone loosely connected to the company, but did not want to jeopardise the anonymity of the refuge location.