Submission on the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality
In late April ALHR provided a submission to the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet as part of the consultation on the National Strategy for Gender Equality (the National Strategy).
Australia’s latest Status of Women Report Card, released 8 March 2023, made plain that women are still facing persistent, entrenched and systemic inequality. Women in Australia are twice as likely to experience sexual harassment compared to men and are the fastest growing group of people experiencing homelessness. As a consequence of these and many other factors, the World Economic Forum currently ranks Australia 43rd in the world for gender equality; a grim result for a wealthy ,developed Western liberal democracy.
Gender stereotyping continues to pervade Australian society, leading to discrimination on the basis of gender that has a disproportionate impact on women and girls who experience intersecting forms of discrimination, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, refugees and migrant women, and women with disabilities. Australia is yet to develop a comprehensive strategy to overcome discriminatory gender-based stereotypes.
Our submission discusses some key areas of importance for Australia’s national strategy on gender equality, namely:
- violence against women;
- workplace sexual harassment;,
- reproductive rights;
- intersectional discrimination;
- financial inequality;
- gender bias in healthcare;
- gender and the climate crisis;
- business and human rights through the gender lens; and
- Australia’s lack of legislated human rights protections.
Read ALHR’s submission in full here
For enquiries contact wgr@alhr.org.au
Media enquiries: media@alhr.org.au