Posts tagged Women’s Rights
Major UN human rights review highlights need for Australia to raise the age of criminal responsibility

Australia’s human rights performance was in the spotlight tonight as the Australian Government appeared before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its major human rights review that happens every four to five years.


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Australia’s human rights record under scrutiny at major UN human rights review

Australia’s human rights performance will be in the spotlight tonight as the Australian Government appears before the Human Rights Council in Geneva for its major human rights review that happens every four to five years.


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Explainer: SA's Health Access Zones should not exempt 'silent prayer'

Silent prayer outside abortion clinics can be particularly harmful to women trying to access healthcare. The objects of the Health Care (Safe Access) Amendment Bill 2020 would be completely undermined by an amendment that authorises silent prayer within a health access zone, by allowing anti-abortion activists to invade the privacy and threaten the wellbeing of patients seeking abortion care.

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Human rights must be at the heart of Government’s response to COVID-19

The Human Rights Law Centre has told the Senate Committee tasked with investigating the Federal Government's response to COVID-19 that human rights must be at the centre of the Government’s actions, both now and into the future.

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Andrews Government must fix laws to tackle rising hate in Victoria

The Andrews Government must take a stand against rising hate in the Victorian community, say a coalition of Union, civil society, faith-based and human rights groups who will give evidence on Wednesday to a Parliamentary Inquiry considering proposed changes to Victoria’s anti-vilification laws.

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Explainer: The gestation period in the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 should not be reduced below 22 weeks

The bill currently being debated to decriminalize abortion in NSW allows for a medical practitioner to perform an abortion after 22 weeks gestation where they have consulted with another medical practitioner and both consider the abortion appropriate in all the circumstances. It has been suggested that the bill should be amended to reduce the gestation period to 20 weeks. This briefing note explains why that would undermine the reproductive health outcomes of women.

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NSW a step closer to ensuring women can safely and privately access abortion clinics

Today Penny Sharpe MLC introduced a bill into the New South Wales parliament to protect the privacy, safety and dignity of women accessing reproductive health services.

“For too long, women in NSW have had to run the gauntlet of intimidation and abuse just to see their doctor. It’s difficult to understand how this behaviour has been allowed to continue for so long,” said Ms Howie.

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Stop locking up women who are in family violence situations, says Ms Dhu’s family on White Ribbon Day

The coronial inquest into Ms Dhu’s tragic death in police custody has heard that Ms Dhu was in a violent relationship with her partner, Dion Ruffin, at the time of her arrest. Mr Ruffin was taken into custody together with Ms Dhu and was known to police as someone with a violent criminal history.

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International community condemns Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers during major human rights review at UN

Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers received unprecedented condemnation from the international community as the Government appeared before the Human Rights Council in Geneva overnight for its major four yearly human rights review in a process known as the ‘Universal Periodic Review’.

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Judgment in Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic case highlights need for safe access zones

A Melbourne abortion clinic is looking to Spring Street to create safe access zones after the Supreme Court of Victoria this morning found that whilst the Melbourne City Council had made mistakes in the way it dealt with the clinic, it would not be compelled to take action to prevent women being harassed and intimidated as they entered the clinic.

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Nearly 200 organisations outline concern for UN over Australia’s declining human rights performance

Australia’s steadily deteriorating human rights performance has been highlighted in a major report compiled by nearly 200 organisations around Australia. It will be presented to the United Nation’s peak human rights body in the lead up to a major review of Australia that takes place every four years.

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Australia must take action to improve its compliance with Convention Against Torture and Ill-Treatment, says UN Committee

The United Nations Committee Against Torture has overnight condemned Australia’s asylum seeker policies and expressed serious concerns at the rates of violence against women and indigenous imprisonment.

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News in brief - Human rights in the headlines

A new report highlights various ways in which Australia's co-operation with Sri Lanka’s military puts asylum seekers at risk. The report includes a DFAT cable obtained under Freedom of Information laws that reveals the Australia Federal Police declined to interview a man claiming to have been severely tortured after being sent back to Sri Lanka by Australia.

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Council can act on fertility control clinic protest without new move on laws

The Human Rights Law Centre today rejected comments by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who claimed the Melbourne City Council felt “impotent” to act against anti-abortion protestors who for decades have beset the East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic. Cr Doyle welcomed new laws allowing police to move on protesters and said they would help remove the protestors from the front of the clinic.

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National Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children

In July, the Commonwealth Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon Julie Collins MP, and the Victorian Minister for Community Services, the Hon Mary Wooldridge MP, launched a new organisation, the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children. The Foundation has been set up to raise awareness and engage the community to prevent violence against women and their children. Natasha Stott Despoja AM has been appointed as Chair of the Foundation.

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US State Department annual human rights report highlights violence against women, Indigenous disadvantage and prolonged detention of asylum seekers as issues in Australia

The US State Department has highlighted violence against women and children, Indigenous disadvantage and the prolonged detention of asylum seekers as “principal problem areas” in Australia in its annual report on the state of human rights around the world.

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Women's Rights: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women releases Concluding Observations on Australia

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has released its Concluding Observations following a review of Australia’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Committee comments on a number of positive developments in Australia and welcomes the enactment of the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010, the ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW and measures adopted to combat trafficking and support victims of trafficking.  The Committee acknowledges the progress made in promoting women in leadership positions and notes that two of Australia’s highest public offices are occupied by women.  

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Asia-Pacific: Centre Influences New Framework for ‘Australia’s Law and Justice Engagement with the Pacific'

The Attorney-General and Minister for Foreign Affairs recently launched Australia’s Framework for Law and Justice in the Pacific.  The Framework is a high-level statement of priorities intended to guide Australia’s work in the Pacific law and justice sector. The Framework commits Australia to help Pacific countries strengthen the rule of law and protect human rights. 

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