Every Victorian should be able to live their life free from discrimination.
At the Commission, we work with government and the community to protect human rights, promote fair treatment for all Victorians, and advocate for a diverse and inclusive state.
Alongside our information and complaints services, we focus on four strategic priorities:
Embedding a human rights culture
Improving workplace equality
Protecting human rights in closed environments
Reducing racism
Complaints and enquiries
8,688
issues of discrimination and
harassment raised in enquiries
910
complaint files finalised
0%
client satisfaction with
the complaints process
Complaints and enquiries
+0%
increase in enquiries about religious discrimination
0
complaints about disability discrimination – the most common issue raised
0%
of complaints resolved
Education and awareness
Our education programs, consultancy services and resources help the public sector, private employers and individuals to better understand their rights and obligations under Victoria’s equal opportunity and human rights laws.
367
training sessions delivered
10,213
resources distributed
6,930
participants across private sector, government and community organisations
0%
customer satisfaction
with education sessions
Shaping the conversation
Throughout the year, we engaged with the media to shape public discourse on equality, discrimination and human rights. We commented on a wide range of topics, including sexual harassment, mental health discrimination, religious exceptions and Aboriginal cultural rights.
1.6 million
views of our social media posts
15,758
fans across all platforms
0 million
people reached through
our media engagement
Addressing systemic discrimination
0
discriminatory policies
discovered during our major investigation into the travel insurance industry, which resulted in three of Australia’s biggest travel insurers removing terms from their policies that discriminated against people with mental health conditions
0
policy submissions
that advocated for a fairer approach to spent convictions, stronger laws to address sexual harassment, balanced religious protections, and embedding gender equality in Victoria’s public sector
0
Charter interventions
over the last 10 years, which have helped Victoria’s courts and tribunals to engage with Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities when making their decisions
Embedding a human rights culture
A strong human rights culture within our government and the broader community supports fairer decision-making and our vision for a safer, more inclusive Victoria.
This year, we strengthened the human rights culture within the Victorian public sector and worked with Victorian schools to embed respect for human rights within all parts of the school community.
→
Willmott Park Primary School was one of
the pilot sites for our innovative education
program ‘A human rights approach to
diversity and inclusion in schools’.
Image: Tim Carrafa
Strengthening the human rights culture in the Victorian Public Sector
We worked with the Victorian public sector through our Charter Education Program to help staff better understand the important role the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities plays in promoting equality for all Victorians.
108
education sessions
1,550
Victorian public sector staff received training
0%
increase since 2017 in public sector staff who say they understand how the Charter applies to their work
Embedding a human rights approach in Victorian schools
We embedded a human rights culture within Victorian schools through our innovative education program ‘A human rights approach to diversity and inclusion in schools’, developed in partnership with the Department of Education and Training.
100%
of school leaders in our survey say they prioritise promotion and protection of human rights
80%
of school leaders in our survey say the program helped their school better understand rights and responsibilities under the Charter
0
participating staff across 8 pilot sites
Improving workplace equality
Regardless of industry or role, our working lives play an important part in our identity, financial security and our sense of contribution, but some people still face significant social and structural barriers to inclusion and equality in the workplace.
This year, we worked closely with Victoria Police to improve gender equality for all its employees, and we helped other workplaces open the conversation about sexual harassment and workplace equality through an innovative program called Raise it!.
→
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human
Rights Commissioner Kristen Hilton spoke
to the media at the launch of the third report
from our independent review into Victoria Police.
Complaints about sex discrimination and sexual harassment
0
complaints about sexual harassment and sex-related discrimination related to pregnancy, breastfeeding, carer status and parental status
0%
complaints about sex discrimination occurred at work
0%
complaints about sexual harassment occurred at work
Making Victoria Police a safer, more inclusive workplace for everyone
We helped drive transformative change at Victoria Police, focused on gender equality and addressing the underlying causes of workplace harm, through the third report from our independent review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour, in Victoria Police.
2%
reduction in Victoria Police’s gender pay gap between 2016 and 2018, compared to 0.6% nationally
40%
of Command appointments were women
19,000
employees completed training on discrimination and harassment
0%
increase in Victoria Police staff accessing flexible work arrangements
Raising awareness about sexual harassment and workplace equality
We equipped employees and managers with the tools they need to tackle difficult conversations about sexual harassment and workplace equality through our pilot program Raise it!, funded by the Victorian Office For Women.
7
pilot sites including local councils, cultural institutions, not-for-profits and emergency services
440
participants
78%
of pilot participants feel more confident requesting parental leave or flexible work arrangements
0%
of pilot participants feel more confident about reporting sexual harassment
Protecting human rights in closed environments
In closed environments like prisons or residential care facilities, people may be more vulnerable to having their human rights abused or denied through poor treatment or neglect.
This year, we helped shape the government’s thinking about Aboriginal cultural rights in youth justice, and we supported the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in Victoria.
This report found that strong cultural identity and connection to culture, country and community is a protective factor for the social and emotional wellbeing of Koori young people.”
In July 2018, we released Aboriginal cultural rights in youth justice centres, our joint report with the Commission for Children and Young People. The Victorian Government accepted all our recommendations.
←
© Coming Home (acrylic on canvas 2014)
reproduced with permission of the artist,
Eileen Harrison. Eileen Harrison is a Kurnai
woman, artist and respected Elder from
south-east Victoria.
Reducing racism
For Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities, racism can have wide-ranging mental and physical impacts that can leave individuals feeling isolated and vulnerable and can limit their participation in areas of public life.
This year, in line with our new Multicultural and Multifaith Engagement Action Plan, we partnered with Victoria’s African and Muslim communities to help them understand and exercise their rights. We also progressed our commitment to the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement and advocated for systemic racism to be considered in coronial inquests.
→
Mawa shared her story in our ‘Close Up’ video
series on racism experienced by members of
Victoria’s African and Muslim communities.
Complaints about racism and religious discrimination
0
complaints about racism and religious discrimination
+0%
increase in race discrimination complaints from two years ago
0%
of the racism and religious discrimination complaints we received occurred at work
Empowering Victoria’s African and Muslim communities to exercise their rights and report racism
We helped Victoria’s African and Muslim communities address racism by running tailored education and leadership programs, developed our Community Reporting Tool , and shared stories about the impact of racism in our video series ‘Close Up’.
16
local councils hosting the digital Community Reporting Tool
10
human rights ambassadors built skills in advocacy, storytelling and community engagement
0
views of our ‘Close Up’ videos about racism
Supporting justice for Aboriginal communities
We supported fairer treatment for Victoria’s Aboriginal communities through our commitments to Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja, the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement. We provided training, used our intervention powers, and made submissions on the proposal for a spent convictions scheme.
49
enquiries about discrimination on the basis of irrelevant criminal convictions
1
submission to the coronial inquest into the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, to support the family’s request for the coroner to consider the role of systemic racism in Ms Day’s death – we used our submission to help the Coroners Court understand how the Charter could be applied
0
staff from the Department of Justice and Community Safety participated in training on Aboriginal cultural rights under the Charter
Investing in our people
This year, we focused on strengthening our organisation to make it a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
We developed:
- a new Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group
- a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2018–20
- a Disability Action Plan 2018–20
- an internship program for students
- a new recruitment process to attract and recruit diverse candidates.
Investing in our people
0%
of staff think we have a positive culture in relation to diversity and inclusion
0%
of staff think we have a positive culture in relation to LGBTIQ staff
0%
of staff think we have a positive culture in relation to flexible work
Want to know more about the Commission and our work?
Contact the Commission:
Phone us on 1300 891 848
Visit us at Level 3, 204 Lygon Street, Carlton, Vic 3053
Find us online at humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au