Australian PM launches discrimination inquiry
22 June AFP
The government of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Saturday
asked the Human Rights Commission to launch an inquiry into the
treatment of women in the workplace, marking a return to the vexed issue
of gender equality.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick will oversee a
national survey to assess the prevalence, nature and consequences of
discrimination relating, in particular, to pregnancy at work and return
to work after parental leave.
The inquiry will convene a series of roundtable forums with industry
and employer groups, unions, workers and other organisations before
preparing recommendations to reduce discrimination.
"There is significant anecdotal evidence that women in particular are
being demoted, sacked, or having their role or hours unfavourably
'restructured' while on parental leave or on their return from leave,"
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said.
"The inquiry will measure the prevalence of this discrimination and
help ensure parents, particularly mothers, are treated fairly at work."
It was launched after Gillard reignited a simmering debate about gender
by warning voters in a recent speech that women's voices would be
banished from decision making if the conservative opposition was elected
in September polls.
The comments were followed by Gillard being targeted by a sexist and
offensive menu atan opposition party fundraiser and then a radio host
was fired after pressing her on air whether her partner Tim Mathieson
was gay.
Gillard, Australia's first female leader, said the inquiry would be
''pivotal'' in assessing the scale of the problem for women in the
workplace and what should be done about it.
''It's very concerning that there are even anecdotal reports that
people, particularly women, feel discriminated against when they are
caring for young children,'' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
''Given that I want us to be a nation where (there is) equal
opportunity for everyone at every time in their life, I want to get to
the bottom of the problem and what the solutions could be.'' Despite
Gillard attempting to marginalise the opposition by playing the gender
card, it appears to have backfired with a poll on Monday showing male
voters are deserting her and the ruling Labor Party's popularity
continued to slump. |