AHRC report now published

Australian Human Rights Commission 2008-09 Annual Report tabled

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2008-09 Annual Report has been tabled in federal Parliament and is now available on the website at: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/publications/annual_reports/2008_2009/

The report outlines the diverse range of activities undertaken by the Commission in pursuit of its statutory responsibilities and its vision of an Australian society where human rights are enjoyed by everyone, everywhere, everyday.

One of the Commission’s roles is the investigation and conciliation of complaints of alleged discrimination in the areas of sex, race, age and disability, as well as breaches of human rights. In summary, during 2008-09 the Commission received:

• 20 188 enquiries, an 8 per cent increase in comparison with the number of enquiries received in the last reporting period. There has been a 103 per cent increase in number of enquiries received over the past five years.
• 2 253 complaints – an 8 per cent increase in complaints received in 2007-08. There has been an 81 per cent increase in complaints received over the past five years.
• 48 per cent of finalised complaints were resolved through conciliation. Case studies that illustrate the types of matters resolved through conciliation are detailed in the Annual Report and cover issues that are often raised in complaints, such as alleged pregnancy discrimination, discrimination against students with disabilities, race discrimination in accommodation, racial hatred in the workplace and discrimination against older workers.