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Since it became a signatory to CEDAW, Australia has developed many mechanisms for enforcing the rights enshrined within this Convention. At the forefront are the mechanisms and ideals provided by the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (the Sex Discrimination Act). The criminal justice system, the legal system and cultural attitudes, among others, are also utilised for the implementation and enforcement of the rights enshrined in CEDAW.

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to the elders both past and present. I would also like to thank the Equal Opportunity Commission of South Australia for hosting us here today. Welcome Welcome to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission public hearing on the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. We call this the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry for short. What is this Inquiry about?

The Australian Human Rights Commission visited the immigration detention facilities at Villawood from 21 to 25 February 2011. This statement contains a summary of the key observations and concerns arising from the Commission’s visit. It focuses on conditions as they were at that time.

Successfully balancing paid work with family responsibilities remains a major challenge for a large number of Australians. With women continuing to carry the majority of Australia’s unpaid caring work, creating workplaces that support women and men to balance paid work and share caring responsibilities is critical to achieving gender equality.

Justice for Asylum Seekers (JAS) is a non-incorporated alliance of community organisations founded in 1999 to work for just treatment of people seeking asylum. It is based in Victoria, meets monthly and has three working groups: 1. Campaign, 2. Detention reform and 3. Lobbying.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) visited immigration detention facilities in Darwin from 6 to 10 September 2010. The visit was conducted by Commission President and Human Rights Commissioner, Catherine Branson QC, as well as Commission staff and consultants including a consultant psychiatrist.

The Commission convened a workshop in Sydney on 27 November 2000 on this topic. It was attended by more than 120 participants. The workshop was addressed by two keynote speakers: Dr William Jonas AM, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, and Baroness Vivien Stern from the International Centre for Prison Studie at King's College London who travelled to Australia as a guest of the Commission. Dr Jonas's keynote speech "Citizens Inside" can be read by clicking here.

In Port Hedland there is a school outside ... I used to stand on a chair and look out at them. I like to see what they looked like in their school uniform. There was an officer … and she pulled my shoulder down and put me on the ground and said, ‘You are not allowed to look at those people because they are different to you.’ And I was like ‘Why are they different to me? Because they know English and they are Australian, does that make them better?’

Note that the Activity sheet: Rights and wants provides an introduction to this activity. Provide students with a copy of the (child friendly version) Convention on the Rights of the Child (available at: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/plainchild.asp). Depending on knowledge levels, some discussion or overview may be required.

In 2013, the Australian Government asked the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, on behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission, to undertake a National Review into discrimination related to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work after parental leave. The aims of the National Review, entitled Supporting Working Parents: Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review have been to: provide ...