News

Sex Discrimination

National Press Club Speech -Women on the Verge of Recession: Confronting Gender Issues in Turbulent Times (2009)

It heartens me today to be able to welcome the release of the National Council’s Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. This is the first time we have had a national plan in such a comprehensive form. The challenge now is to ensure that this plan is properly resourced so that all women and their children can live a life free from violence.

29 April, 2009

Sex Discrimination

Women on the verge of recession (2009)

We are in economic times that the world has never seen before. Much has been said about the prospect of massive retrenchments and unemployment. Much has been said about ways in which we might work to minimise job losses. Much has been said about the sectors from which these job losses will come. But not much has been said about what this downturn will mean for women.

18 March, 2009

Sex Discrimination

Maternity leave scheme is a must (2008)

It would be a baffling about face. In a business climate that calls for decisions that will provide our country with some form of economic certainty and optimism, paid maternity leave is precisely a policy for our times. Not only will it improve national productivity and market competitiveness over the long term by ensuring women remain attached to the workplace, it will support these strong economic outcomes with a strong social dimension.

23 November, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Maternity leave is a must (2008)

Tough economic times call for tough business decisions. Decisions made now to strengthen our country’s productivity and market competitiveness will be among the most important of our time. This is precisely the reason why we must stay committed to introducing a government-funded scheme of paid maternity leave.

21 November, 2008

Sex Discrimination

The 'burden' that should be a blessing (2008)

We’re not short on pockets of ignorance – with workplaces that put older workers out to pasture and recruitment agencies which disregard anyone over 45 years of age. They’re selling their clients short, not to mention the potential unlawfulness of this.

1 October, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Time to adjust the work-life balance (2008)

That report provides more evidence of what many people around the country have been saying for years -- that trying to balance paid work and family responsibilities in knowledge businesses is hard. Incredibly hard.

11 April, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Opinion Pieces - Maternity scheme is overdue (2008)

IT IS NOT that often that the Australian Industry Group, the ACTU and the federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner agree on something, but we all support the need for a national, government-funded scheme of paid maternity leave.

8 April, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Opinion - Time to induce paid maternity leave (2008)

Given that paid maternity leave has been on the public policy agenda for over three decades, the struggle for a universal paid maternity leave scheme can only be described as a protracted labour.

28 February, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Opinion Pieces - Improper sexual behaviour still rife (2008)

When I started in my new role as Sex DiscriminationCommissioner at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission last year, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the issues I would face. But I will be frank in saying that I am genuinely shocked by just how pervasive sexual harassment seems to be. I had thought, ''Who doesn't know these days that this behaviour is wrong and unlawful?'' Well, clearly many don't.

6 February, 2008

Sex Discrimination

Flexibility the key to a better work environment (2007)

Abattoir slaughter lines and investment banking have more in common than you might imagine. For the predominantly male workers in both industries, there is enormous pressure on men as primary breadwinners. In the former, this is driven by the casualised nature of the work which leads to uncertainty about continuing employment. In the latter, it is the competitive work environment that means career longevity is never assured.

21 December, 2007

Sex Discrimination

Women at Work... (2007)

I want to start by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and pay my respect to their elders past and present.

27 October, 2007

Sex Discrimination

Abortion and Sex Education (2004)

There are lots of jokes about how people stop having babies when they find out what causes it, and maybe the abortion debate is that simple. We need to make sure men and women know what causes it so they can decide if that is what they want. This is also known as sex education.

21 November, 2004

Sex Discrimination

The Challenges Continue (2004)

You'll be pleased to know that Australians don't think sexual harassment is political correctness gone mad. In those cases where people witness it happening to others, 87 per cent of us do something about it. Actions range from confronting the harasser to comforting the victim - now that's mateship.

24 March, 2004

Sex Discrimination

Future Challenges (2003)

I was delighted when BRW invited me to become a regular contributor; the interests of women are increasingly bound up in the world of work so you and I should find common interests, if not common causes. What is more, the times have never suited women better; now is a great opportunity for Australia to embrace meritocracy, diversity and with that the opportunity to be an internationally competitive economy.

5 March, 2003

Sex Discrimination

Peeling the inequality onion

This paper considers national and international legislative and other provisions regarding equality for women in the labour market. Australia ranks second to Sweden in terms of pay equity. It is argued that over the last two decades of global shifts to labour market decentralism and deregulation, Australian women have fared relatively well. Three fundamental reasons stand out:

25 April, 1996