LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS FOR FAMILIES

UNCLASSIFIED

ATTORNEY-GENERAL
ROBERT McCLELLAND MP
AND
MINISTER FOR THE STATUS FOR WOMEN
TANYA PLIBERSEK MP

24 June 2010

LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS FOR FAMILIES

Attorney General, Robert McClelland, today introduced legislation to provide stronger discrimination protections for Australians with family responsibilities.

Amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 will:

establish breastfeeding as a separate ground of discrimination;
extend protections from discrimination on the grounds of family responsibilities to both women and men in all areas of employment;
ensure that protections from sex discrimination apply equally to women and men; and
provide greater protection from sexual harassment for students and workers.

Strengthening protections for workers with family responsibilities is an important step toward achieving economic equality between women and men.

The Bill is part of the Governmenÿÿ•˙s response to the report of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs into eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality.

The Government will also consider other recommendations from the Committÿÿâÿ˙s Report as part of its commitment in Australiÿÿ•˙s Human Rights Framework to consolidate anti-discrimination legislation into a single comprehensive law.

Media Contact: Adam Siddique (McClelland) 0407 473 630
Darrin Barnett (Plibersek) 0428 119 703

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LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS FOR FAMILIES