Rights and Freedoms
Free and Equal: An Australian conversation on human rights
What makes an effective system of human rights protection for 21st century Australia? What are we doing well and what steps do we still need to take?
Projects
Rights and Freedoms
Disability Rights
Transport accessibility
Learn how the Australian Human Rights Commission creates accessibility guidelines for public transport, including planes, trains, buses and taxis.
LGBTIQ+
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Equality
Do you think you have been discriminated against in employment for reasons relating to your sexuality? See our Complaints page for information on how to make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Children's Rights
Back Me Up
The campaign was launched to encourage young people to support their friends targeted by cyberbullying.
Rights and Freedoms
Prisoners Rights
Prisoners, just like all other people, are entitled to enjoy their human rights. Prisoners can make complaints to the Commission about human rights breaches and discrimination that occurs in prison.CERD
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1966 (CERD) (the Convention) was one of the first human rights treaties to be adopted by the United Nations. More than 156 countries (four-fifths of the membership of the UN) have ratified the Convention; including Australia...
Race Discrimination
In our own words - African Australians: A review of human rights and social inclusion issues (2010)
In 2007, the former Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tom Calma, had a vision to develop a human rights initiative based on the experiences of African Australians, to inform future policy and programs.
Rights and Freedoms
Right to vote
The right to vote is not enjoyed equally by all Australians A healthy democracy makes sure that all members of the community have equal access to the political process. Australia is a democratic nation where governments are elected by popular vote. However, even though almost all Australians over 18...
Rights and Freedoms
Let's talk about rights - Human Rights Act for Australia
The Australian Human Rights Commission supports a Human Rights Act for Australia.
Rights and Freedoms
Climate Change and Human Rights
Governments have traditionally approached climate change as an ecological problem, or more recently, as an economic one. So far, the social and human rights implications of climate change have not been widely recognised. The effects of climate change may threaten a broad range of internationally...
Disability Rights
Reform of the assistance animals provision of the Disability Discrimination Act (2003)
Reform of the assistance animals provision of the Disability Discrimination Act REPORT FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS ON SECTION 9(1)(f) OF THE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT 1992 DEALING WITH ASSISTANCE ANIMALS OTHER THAN GUIDE DOGS AND HEARING DOGS. Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM Acting Disability Discrimination...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
NILAC: National Indigenous Legal Advocacy Courses
The NILAC courses were transferred to Tranby - the National Indigenous Adult Education and Training Centre. Contact Tranby for more information on these courses.
Rights and Freedoms
Rural and Remote Education Inquiry
Rural and Remote Education Inquiry The National Inquiry into Rural and Remote Education was initiated by the Commission in February 1999. The 1998 Bush Talks consultations on the human rights concerns of regional, rural and remote Australians had revealed that access to education of an appropriate...
Rights and Freedoms
Bush Talks: Rural Health
In 1998 and 1999 the Commission (then known as HREOC) visited regional, rural and remote areas in every State and the Northern Territory as part of the Bush Talks consultations.
Disability Rights
The Sterilisation of Girls and Young Women in Australia: 1997 report
The legal framework regulating sterilisation of children in Australia was set out by the High Court in Marion's Case in 1992. It sought to ensure heightened accountability in decision making in an area where children are at significant risk of grave abuse of their fundamental human right to bodily...
Disability Rights
