Sex Discrimination
The following opinion piece by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins was published in the Age newspaper on May 3, 2018 It’s time for some home truths about how we are talking about and dealing with sexual harassment cases. We need to stop talking about so-called ‘‘hush money’’ and refocus...
Disability Rights
It was 25 years ago this month that the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (the ‘DDA’) commenced operation. On 1 March 1993, Australians with a dis¬ability had a national law that was designed to provide them with equality in many areas of life. Over the past quarter of a cen¬tury, the DDA...
Sex Discrimination
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins provided the following opinion piece to mark International Women's Day. It was published by the Herald Sun on March 7, 2018; International Women's Day has been observed for more than 100 years. The day, which will be marked tomorrow, was established...
Business and Human Rights
A diverse group of leaders from the Australian business community, civil society, the religious community and academia has released a Statement of Support for the development of legislation to combat Modern Slavery.
Sex Discrimination
Over the past year, I have spoken with many women who have told me their personal accounts of being harassed in the workplace. I spoke to one hospital worker who was sexually harassed by a male patient, who indecently exposed himself to her. Instead of helping her, the woman's colleagues and manager...
Commission – General
We can all have our say within the bounds of law Respect is the essence of a civil society. It is the cornerstone of human rights - the "active voice" of dignity that links all the international conventions to which Australia has committed. Respect is tolerance. It is a fundamental basis of our...
Disability Rights
As Disability Discrimination Commissioner, it is my job to promote and protect the rights of people with disability. So when a person who has been elected to represent the concerns and aspirations of the Australian people uses the floor of Parliament to suggest that students with disability should...
Children's Rights
One unintended consequence of the explosion of digital technology is the proliferation of online child exploitation material – and increased opportunities for child sex offenders to connect with other offenders. This is the central finding of Anti-Slavery Australia’s Behind the Screen: Online Child...
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
As recent reports allege asylum seekers are being removed from Manus Island and returned to their place of origin, Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs, reflects on the nation's responsibilities.
Race Discrimination
Federal racial hatred legislation and the complaints-handling processes of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are currently the subjects of an inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The Committee’s ‘Freedom of speech in Australia’ inquiry, due to report by 28...
Sex Discrimination
On Saturday, thousands of Australians participated in a global Women's March for gender equality. These marches were a reminder of how far we have to go before we achieve gender equality. These marches were a reminder of how far we have to go before we achieve gender equality. However, the past 18...
Authors Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins and President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Professor Gillian Triggs In March 2010, shortly after making the decision to leave her abusive husband after more than 20 years of violence, Zahra Abrahimzadeh was stabbed to death in front of...
Children's Rights
This year around 900 children and young people will spend Christmas in jail. More than 5 per cent of this population are between 10 and 12 years old and 74 per cent of this age group are Indigenous. Most have been charged or convicted with petty crimes, like graffiti, vandalism, shop lifting or fare...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Decades of reports and inquiries have largely echoed what Indigenous leaders have long asked for: we want Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to be at the heart of any reform agenda involving our people, says Robynne Quiggin. The 2016 Social Justice and Native Title Report details the...
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