Joint call to strengthen Victoria’s equal opportunity laws
OII Australia has joined with 27 other community organisations, legal experts, unions and service providers to call for improvements to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 in Victoria.
Victoria has not yet responded to the inclusion of “intersex status” alongside “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in the federal Sex Discrimination Act, amended in 2013. The Maltese Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act of 2015 also provides an excellent model for Australian States and Territories.
The joint letter also calls for the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) to be given authority to investigate systemic issues.
Other issues include removing religious exemptions in the provision of publicly funded services, increasing the utility of protections against racial or religious vilification, and tackling discrimination caused by family violence.
Thank you to Anna Brown of the Human Rights Law Centre for coordinating the joint letter and report.