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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice14 March 2020Media Release
Failure to close the gap puts Indigenous communities at increased risk
The Close the Gap Campaign is cancelling its public events to mark Close the Gap Day on Thursday 19 March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to endure higher levels of illness and higher levels of comorbidity. We have three times the rate of preventable admissions to hospital, overcrowded housing and a lack of access to basic health… -
Rights and Freedoms17 January 2019Media Release
Modern Slavery and Beyond
As the Federal Senate debates the Modern Slavery Bill this week, the 2018 Australian Dialogue on Business and Human Rights takes place in Sydney today with modern slavery prevention as the key theme. It’s the fifth time the Global Compact Network Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission have joined forces to address the ongoing challenges facing business, government, civil… -
Commission – General17 January 2019Media Release
Finalists for 2018 Government Award revealed
Four finalists have been selected from a diverse range of nominations for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Government Award. This year marks the first time our Awards recognise Government as a stand-alone category. “There are many Government groups and individuals helping others overcome discrimination and isolation and building tolerance and respect in the community and further afield,” said … -
Rights and Freedoms31 January 2020Media Release
Commission warns on Religious Discrimination Bill overreach
In its submission on the latest draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill, the Australian Human Rights Commission warns that elements of the Bill are inconsistent with international human rights law. The Commission is particularly concerned that exemptions for ‘statements of belief’ in the Bill would override existing federal, state and territory discrimination laws on grounds such as race,… -
Children's Rights19 April 2021Media Release
Governments must prioritise raising the age
National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO have urged all Australian governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility as a matter of priority. A report commissioned by a meeting of Attorneys-General in July last year recommended that all jurisdictions raise the age and ensure younger teenagers… -
Rights and Freedoms13 December 2019Media Release
Rosemary Kayess wins 2019 Human Rights Medal
Leading disability rights activist Rosemary Kayess has won the prestigious 2019 Human Rights Medal in recognition of her work in international human rights law for people with disability. Ms Kayess, a tireless advocate for equal rights for people with disability in Australia and worldwide, contributed to drafting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice26 September 2018Teachers Article
Bringing Them Home (2017)
Complementing the 1997 report this resource helps students understand the forced removal of Indigenous people in Australian history. It addresses the effects of separating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities, and Country. -
Age Discrimination1 March 2021Media Release
Statement on the Aged Care Royal Commission report
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the publication of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Following the findings and recommendations in the report, released today, the Commission would like to see the human rights of older people embedded in the planning, provision and monitoring of aged care services in Australia. “Older people have the… -
Children's Rights24 August 2022Media Release
Survey shows children need better mental health support
A national survey examining the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic shows children and their families need better support from schools and mental health services. An initiative of the National Children's Commissioner, the survey found that children most commonly seek mental health support from their families, friends and schools. However,… -
Rights and Freedoms18 March 2022Opinion piece
What is happening in Ukraine should matter to every Australian
OPINION There is almost 13,000km between Australia and Ukraine. It is literally on the other side of the world. Given the vast distances that separate us, it would be easy to claim that what happens there has nothing to do with us. That Australia should focus instead on the many challenges we face at home and leave the rest of the world to deal with their own problems. That would be a grave … -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice18 March 2022Opinion piece
We will not sit down or stand to the side
OPINION There are moments in history where the forces of what has come before and the energy of the present reconfigure the social and political landscape. In Australia and around the globe, reckoning with misogyny and the interrelated issues of systemic racism and patriarchal destruction has been centuries in the making. On Tuesday, on International Women’s Day, a new play by Victoria… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice25 June 2019Media Release
Hear Us, See Us exhibition launched at UN Human Rights Council
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has launched the Hear Us, See Us exhibition at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The exhibition includes photos and videos of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls who took part in national consultations for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project -
Children's Rights11 March 2020Media Release
New Resource to Teach School Children About Digital Health Records
Schools are being given the opportunity to teach students about their rights in managing their digital health records, using a new resource designed by the National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell. Under the My Health Record system, children aged 14 years and over can manage their own records. They may do so independently, or they can grant access to parents or guardians. They may… -
Sex Discrimination5 March 2019Media Release
Gender equality on the golf course
New guidelines for Australian golf clubs are being rolled out today in a bid to stop sex discrimination and increase female participation, which has been sliding over the past 50 years. Golf Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission found that while clubs offer women and girls opportunities to play and compete, frequently men were given greater opportunities purely because of… -
Race Discrimination13 February 2019Media Release
Reconciliation Australia Barometer shows steady progress, but still work to do
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO and the Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan have welcomed today’s release of the Reconciliation Barometer. The survey conducted every two years since 2008, measures the progress of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians. Among the key findings;… -
Employers15 March 2024Speech
Leadership Recipes
Defence Estate and Infrastructure Group Annual Leadership Conference Canberra Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human RIghts Commission Acknowledgement I first wish to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people who are the traditional custodians of this land, and to pay my respects to Ngunnawal Elders past, present and emerging. I also acknowledge any Indigenous guests… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice17 January 2019Media Release
New approach to Closing the Gap Strategy welcomed
The Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the COAG agreement to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the Refreshed Closing the Gap Strategy. COAG has recognised that in order to effect real change, governments must work collaboratively and in genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as they are the essential… -
Age Discrimination17 January 2019Media Release
Too old to work at 50: Survey
A new survey on attitudes to employing older workers has found that up to 30 per cent of Australian employers are still reluctant to hire workers over a certain age, and for more than two thirds of this group, that age was over 50. The survey of more than 900 human resource professionals was conducted by the Australian HR Institute supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission. It… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees5 May 2021Media Release
Media Statement: Federal Court improves pathways to protection for more than a thousand asylum seekers taken to Ashmore reef
More than 1,000 asylum seekers have a greater ability to apply for protection in Australia following a landmark judgment by the Federal Court on Tuesday. “When a person seeks asylum in Australia, it’s vital that their application be processed quickly, fairly and transparently. This judgment will remove administrative barriers for a vulnerable group of people who have been waiting too long to… -
Race Discrimination19 April 2021Media Release
Stop mass incarceration to prevent deaths in custody
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO said Australia must stop the “mass incarceration” of its Indigenous people or else deaths in custody will continue to occur. Commissioner Oscar said her thoughts are with all the families who have lost loved ones over recent months, and in the 30 years since the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal…