Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s Priorities and Focus MY PRIORITIES VIOLENCE AGAINST AND GIRLS WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY AND EMPOWERMENT DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP MY ACTIONS Conduct the Commission’s fourth sexual harassment prevalence survey. Lead the domestic violence review project to build national data on family violence deaths to improve policy responses. Monitor universities’ responses to the Change the Course report on sexual harassment and sexual assault. Co-Chair Play by the Rules, promoting grass-roots sport to be safe, fair and inclusive for all. Develop guidelines for the application of special measures under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to advance substantial equality between men and women. Educate employers and employees on the rights and obligations in the workplace related to pregnancy, parental leave and return to work. Raise awareness and understanding of the levers affecting women’s economic security through their lifetime. Work collaboratively with the Australian Defence Force on cultural reform across the three services. Work with the Male Champions of Change to improve the representation of women in leadership positions and in roles across their organisations. Promote the benefits of women’s and girls’ leadership and representation in roles. MY ADVOCACY Challenge everyday sexism and low level sexual harassment where we live, work, learn and play. Promote broader social equality and address structural discrimination and intersectional disadvantage. Challenge the structural and attitudinal barriers affecting working parents, including: parental leave, superannuation, flexible work, childcare, and sharing of unpaid work. Promote benefits of reducing workforces. Advocate for improved representation of women and girls in political, corporate, sporting and organisational leadership roles. Promote and facilitate opportunities for women and girls to have their voices heard at a local, national and international level.
This work will be focused on the following settings: Where we live, learn, work and play were identified as high impact settings for change in Change the Story – a shared national framework developed by Our Watch, ANROWS and VicHealth for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia. WORKPLACES EDUCATION SPORT WHY Work is a critical enabler for all. Education provides the foundation for life. Sport and physical activity supports better physical, social and mental health for all. A high proportion of our population are or seek to be engaged in work and others depend on the financial support of workers. Every person has an experience of education either personally or through someone they know – from early childhood, schools, tertiary through to work programs and further education. Most of our community are touched by sport in some way as a participant, coach, volunteer, supporter or spectator. ADDRESSES CHALLENGES Workplaces have potential to remove barriers including: sexual harassment, gender pay gap, discrimination against working parents, gender segregation in roles and sectors, sharing of unpaid work and more. There is the potential to reduce gender-segregated courses and career paths in education and through education to increase understanding of disrespectful attitudes that underpin violence against women and children. There is potential for sport to address barriers to gender equality and demonstrate respect for women and girls through increased participation, leadership roles, access to facilities, equal pay sponsorship and media coverage.
WORKPLACES EDUCATION SPORT OPPORTUNITIES Workplaces offer an equal opportunity for productive and engaging work while recognising the value of caring responsibilities. The education life cycle offers opportunities to change attitudes and reduce violence while empowering women and men, girls and boys equally to succeed in all sectors. Sport brings diverse people together through a uniting passion. Growing interest in female sport creates opportunities for elite sportswomen and supports women and girls actively participate in any sport. BENEFITS Individuals and families benefit from economic security and increased wellbeing. The workplace benefits from increased productivity and innovation. The community benefits from better economic outcomes. Impact of education on young people will influence our culture and the next generation of leaders. Individuals benefit from increased physical, social and mental health. The community benefits from policies and actions taken in sport to progress gender equality. The economy benefits from expanding the sports industry.
In advancing gender equality my work will pay particular attention to the following areas of focus: WHY REGIONAL AND REMOTE? WHY TECHNOLOGY? WHY INTERSECTIONALITY? Despite experiencing additional barriers to equality, women and some men in rural, regional and remote communities are working collectively to make progress towards gender equality. However gender-based stereotypes can often affect their voices being heard in decision making. Few options for employment, services and support leave women living in rural, regional and remote areas at higher risk of violence and discrimination. Technology provides many opportunities to progress gender equality, including access to flexible work, diverse collaboration, improved connection and greater innovation. There are new and lucrative work opportunities in the male-dominated technology industry and potential to increase the participation of women and girls. However technology can also facilitate abuse towards women, for example in family violence situations, through pornography and by abuse on social media. To achieve gender equality we need to understand the diversity of women’s experiences and their impact on their lives. Some women face multiple intersecting barriers to equality. In recognition of this, I will work with the: Age Discrimination Commissioner on older women and homelessness. Children’s Commissioner on preventing violence against girls and issues faced by teenage parents. Disability Discrimination Commissioner on violence against women with disabilities. Social Justice Commissioner on issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls. Race Discrimination Commissioner on leadership of culturally and linguistically diverse and sport. Rights Commissioner on technology and human rights issues relevant to sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status.