Australian Human Rights Commission
e-bulletin
September 2010
Welcome
Welcome to the September issue of the Australian Human Rights Commission's monthly e-bulletin, where we will keep you up-to-date with our latest programs, projects and news.
Please forward to friends and colleagues who have an interest in human rights and social justice issues.
In this e-bulletin
- Real-life stories inspire change
- More women in senior roles will be catalyst for gender equality
- Protecting human rights within Australian democracy
- See below for more...
Real-life stories inspire change
 |
The Advocacy Disability Ethnicity Community's DVD, "Can I Do It My Way". |
Telling the real-life stories of people with disabilities can be a powerful tool to challenge perceptions and inspire change, Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said.
Commissioner Innes launched a DVD earlier this month that profiles the lives of five individuals with disabilities.
The DVD, made by the Advocacy Disability Ethnicity Community (ADEC), shows how each has overcome barriers to participate in community life.
“Rather than being individual victories, the DVD aims to use them as catalysts for broader change - both by encouraging other individuals to pursue similar paths, but also by showing how our current society, and service systems, are set up to restrict and narrow the lives of Australians with disability,” Commissioner Innes said.
“Until people with disabilities are recognised as having equal value by the wider Australian community, there is more work for the Commission and for organisations such as ADEC to do.”
Mr Innes said it is also important for people to make a complaint – to tell their own story – when they are treated unfairly.
“The sad reality is that, if a person who has been discriminated against does not act, that discrimination will continue, against them and others,” he said.
The full text of Commissioner Innes’s speech launching the ADEC DVD is available on the website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/speeches/race/2010/2010907_ADEC_DVD_launch.html
More information at: www.ADEC.org.au
More women in senior roles will be catalyst for gender equality
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Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner |
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has argued as have others that a “critical mass” of women in senior positions is needed to achieve equality in the workforce.
Speaking at the National Conference on Women and Industrial Relations in Darwin, Ms Broderick said Australian women had much to celebrate, but discriminatory attitudes and stereotypes are still hidden in the cultures and mindsets of many organisations.
“When we get a critical mass of women in senior roles, the change we are seeking, of appreciating difference and accessing all talent, will occur,” Ms Broderick said.
“Decisions affecting women’s promotion and retention will change. Core decisions affecting risk, brand and control will shift.”
Ms Broderick said quotas and targets must be considered to achieve more women in senior positions.
“I agree with others that we need to build critical mass in the presence of existing barriers,” Ms Broderick said.
“It is
critical mass that will create the change rather than change creating critical
mass.”
Rather than focusing on “fixing women” with
initiatives such as assertiveness training, mentoring and networking, Ms
Broderick argued the system needs to be fixed so it works for
everyone.
She said more men would champion flexible work arrangements and workplace innovation if they can be encouraged to take advantage of these options themselves.
The full text of the speech Gender equality in the
workforce: A feminist approach is available on the website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/speeches/sex_discrim/2010/
20100812_equality.html
Protecting human rights within Australian democracy
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President Branson delivers the 2010 University of Newcastle Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture. |
Commission President Catherine Branson QC told an audience of academics, students and members of the community this month that there are deficits in our democratic processes that leave disadvantaged members of society vulnerable to human rights violations.
Delivering the 2010 University of Newcastle Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture, Ms Branson observed that the protection of human rights is fundamental to modern democracies such as Australia. These include civil and political rights such as the right to vote, freedom of expression, movement and thought, non-discrimination and equality before the law and fair and equal access to economic and social rights such as housing, health and education.
In her speech, What does it mean to believe in human rights in Australia today?, Ms Branson argued that while Australia has strong democratic institutions, arguably they do not adequately protect human rights: our Parliament can make laws that breach human rights without providing explicit justification; human rights can be overlooked in law and policy development processes; and Australia does not always provide effective remedies for human rights breaches.
“Unfortunately, while democratic elections express the will of the majority, unfortunately majority view is not always aware of, let alone sympathetic to, the need to treat justly and fairly those whose voices do not form a significant part of mainstream political discourse.” Ms Branson said.
Ms Branson cited the continued detention of asylum-seeker children, and the setting aside of the Racial Discrimination Act as part of the Federal Government’s emergency intervention in Northern Territory Indigenous communities, as examples of how the democratic process had failed to protect human rights adequately.
“A good system of human rights protection would include a Parliament that considers the human rights implications of all new laws, and government decision-makers who respect human rights when implementing laws, developing policy and delivering public services.
The Commission strongly supports a broad-based community human rights education program, as well as enhanced parliamentary scrutiny processes to consider the human rights implications of new laws and policies.”
The full text of What does it mean to believe in human rights in Australia
today? is available on the website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/speeches/speeches_president/
2010/20100902_rights_today.html
Recent media releases
- United Nations Indigenous Rights Declaration worth celebrating, but now is the time for action (10 September 2010)
- Only four weeks left - nominate your human rights hero now (6 September 2010)
- UN Committee urges more progress on race discrimination (27 August 2010)
Recent submissions
- Refining the Australian Public Service Values (2 August 2010)
Recent speeches
- What does it mean to believe in human rights in Australia today? - President, Catherine Branson QC (2 September 2010)
- Conservation, Participation and Human Rights - President, Catherine Branson QC (1 September 2010)
- Advocacy Disability Ethnicity Community (ADEC) DVD launch "Can I do it my way' - Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner - Graeme Innes AM (7 September 2010)
- UN World Conference on Global Health - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda (1 September 2010)
Recent podcasts
Three new Pod Rights episodes are now available.
Episode 17
Dr. Garth Japhet is a world leader in edutainment. He uses mass media as a means of education, advocacy and the promotion of public health and, in the process, has created popular TV and radio series attracting huge audiences. Soul City is one such series that has rated in the top three shows in South Africa with an audience of over 30 million people and sales to over 38 countries. Soul City has run since 1994 with a companion radio serial drama and multimedia campaign and Garth has created a children's series The Soul Buddyz plus 8 feature films. His shows reach over 45 million people annually.
To understand more about this successful approach to promoting human rights and social issues, and associated solutions, through entertainment, Race and Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes spoke with Dr Japhet while he was in Australia recently.
Episode 16
On Human Rights Day - December 10 - every year, the Australian Human Rights Commission announces the winners and highly commended nominees for the annual Human Rights Medals and Awards.
With this years nominations closing at 5pm on Monday 4 October 2010, race and Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes took this opportunity to discuss the significance of the medal and awards, their history and the categories that are open to entry with the Commission's Director of Public Affairs, Paul Oliver.
Episode 15
Recent media reports of violence against international students have seen concern through the halls of learning and the community.
Are there factors that make international students more at risk in Australia, and why do these students face difficulties in employment, housing and public transport? To hear more on these issues, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, spoke to Tammi Jonas, the President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA).
Go to www.humanrights.gov.au/podcasts for audios and transcripts of all Pod Rights.
Get involved - upcoming events
- 21 September: International Day of Peace
- 29-30 September: 2nd Rural & Remote Mental Health Conference
- 14 October: World Sight Day
For the latest media releases, speeches, opinion pieces, go to the media centre on the Commission’s website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/
