Background

Phase I

In March 2021, the Commission called for a National Anti-Racism Framework and released a Concept Paper outlining guiding principles, outcomes, and strategies.

The Commission then undertook consultations with peak and community organisations, service providers, government departments and agencies, experts, and community members. 100 consultations were undertaken with approximately 300 organisations. The Commission partnered with community peaks and organisations as well as government departments to conduct 10 community consultations across the nation. The Commission also called for public submissions between October 2021 and February 2022 and received 164 submissions. The Commission released its National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. 

Phase II 

Since then, in addition to the below community consultations, the Commission has undertaken and commissioned additional research to progress the findings from the initial scoping phase including in the areas of data collection, anti-Asian racism and health. 

This year extensive community consultations about a National Anti-Racism Framework were undertaken. This included consultations with over 496 First Nations people across Australia, from diverse populations including those with metropolitan, rural and remote backgrounds, varying ages, genders and socio-economic backgrounds, and sectoral representation. These involved one-on-one interviews and focus groups, both in place and virtual, an online survey and group submissions, ensuring a wide range of voices were heard. 

Consultations with negatively racialised communities were also conducted, led by 18 organisations and comprised of 44 community consultations with over 860 participants. The consultations were conducted across all states and territories including remote, regional, and metropolitan areas, with a majority conducted face to face and others online. They included intersectional focus areas of LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; refugees and asylum seekers; older people; young people (18-25 years); people and communities of faith; new and emerging communities; and communities with prominent caste systems.  

Shift from Interpersonal Racism to Systemic Racism 

The findings from this initial scoping process were shared in the National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report in December 2022. The Scoping Report indicated strong support from participants across the board for a Framework as an overarching and coherent approach to anti-racism. Across the board, participants affirmed that First Nations self-determination, sovereignty and truth-telling should be central to the Framework. The following themes and sectors were also identified as areas of focus:

• Data collection
• Education and Public Awareness
• Cultural Safety
• Legal protections and Justice
• Health
• Media

• Read and download the National Anti-Racism Framework
• Read and download a summary of the National Anti-Racism Framework
• Read the media release 

Related reading

The following reports have contributed to the National Anti-Racism Framework:

• Mapping government programs and policies relevant to anti-racism
• Race Reporting Handbook
• An Anti-Racism Framework: The Perspectives of Multicultural Australia
• Anti-Asian Racism Research Project
• An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples

Acknowledgments 

The Commission recognises the ongoing strength and leadership of Australia’s First Peoples in leading anti-racism efforts since colonisation.

The Commission acknowledges the vast emotional and intellectual labour of the community, particularly those with lived experiences of racism, who shared their vision for a National Anti-Racism Framework that takes a transformative approach to addressing racism in Australia.

Image design copyright Bree Buttenshaw for Saltwater People (2024).

Key findings relate to:

• systemic racism
• unconscious bias
• historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation
• over-policing and incarceration, and
• accountability

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort to reform systems, educate individuals, 
and ensure meaningful representation and accountability for First Nations peoples.

The report makes recommendations for:

• legislative reform
• accountability mechanisms
• First Nations advisory bodies
• standardised cultural safety education
• cross-sector workforce strategies, and
• a standalone First Nations Anti-Racism Framework.
   

This report was produced for the Commission by First Nations Collective Consulting. The Commission is deeply grateful to all those who took part in the consultations and who shared their concerns, priorities and solutions.

The report’s findings were the subject of the 10th annual Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture. You can watch the lecture on our YouTube channel.

Downloads

• Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture 2024 - Marni Tuala (198.64 KB)
• An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples (3.02 MB)
• First Nations Consultations - Infographic (287.49 KB)

Report methodology 

Between November 2023 and May 2024, FECCA engaged 18 organisations across Australia, using an intersectional lens and intentionally prioritising groups that are most likely to experience racism together with other forms of discrimination.  

In total, 44 consultation sessions took place across all states and territories, covering more than 860 participants. An online survey was also conducted, with 411 valid responses. 

Key findings 

Among the key findings was that, despite the diversity of people’s backgrounds – including location, age, disability, sexuality, faith and cultural background – racism was widespread throughout the country and entrenched in society.  

Racism, the report found, is often being experienced at the same time as another form of discrimination such as disability or sex discrimination, and is taking place in people’s schools, workplaces, public spaces, and during interactions with health services or law enforcement.   

Governments and the media were also found to be culpable in further marginalising people through a culture of silence, which either ignores or minimises incidents of racism or stokes divisions through sensationalist rhetoric.  

The experiences shared by participants have reinforced findings from previous studies and brought to the forefront the solutions that those with lived experience of racism propose to build a society where racism is actively combated. 

Recommendations 

In total, 11 recommendations (7 main, 4 supplementary) were made to help build a society where racism is actively combated. These include: 

• The Australian Government must lead the way to change and commit to a whole-of-society, anti-racism agenda, such as through a national anti-racism framework.  
• Combating First Nations racism must be at the forefront of reform.  
• Schools must educate on racism, including First Nations experiences of settler colonisation, and take a strengths-based approach to racial diversity including via curriculum. 
• Public and private institutions, including in education, employment, healthcare, and justice, must have policies in place to address racism in all its forms. This includes incorporating preventative and redress mechanisms, reviewing all current policies and procedures for accessing opportunities and services, and introducing mandatory anti-racism training.  
• Media should employ more professionals from culturally diverse backgrounds that lead news and help to shape anti-racist narratives in Australia. 

Downloads

• Full report: 'An Anti-Racism Framework: Experiences and Perspectives of Multicultural Australia' [PDF 452 KB]

Image design copyright Bree Buttenshaw for Saltwater People (2024).

Journalists play a critical role in the way people are racialised. That’s why the Australian Human Rights Commission, in partnership with Media Diversity Australia, has produced the Race Reporting Handbook to help overcome misrepresentation and stereotyping.

From reporting on First Nations people reinforcing stereotypes to the cultural burden placed on people with lived experience of racism in newsrooms, the handbook reveals the inequity in our current media landscape and includes tips for newsrooms to overcome it.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said: “The media has the power to decide who tells stories, whose stories are told, and how they are told. If you are white, you are often centred in nearly every aspect of the media and rarely, if ever, need to be concerned about the way in which the media represents your race.”

"Responsible reporting which is built on racial literacy is essential for creating any anti-racist society. It’s time to shift narratives from sensationalist headlines and move to editorial decision-making that are reflective of stories that showcase strengths rather than diminish negatively racialised communities.

“The handbook contains principles and checklists for anti-racist journalistic and editorial practices, including recruitment for greater diversity in media workplaces. Inclusive storytelling will better amplify underrepresented voices for more robust reporting,” Commissioner Sivaraman said. 

Media Diversity CEO Mariam Veiszadeh highlighted the need for the handbook at a critical juncture in the Australian media landscape.

“If a person were of an Anglo background, would you, for example, reference their race? This is a crucial question to consider.

“Enhancing the racial literacy of a sector that informs and shapes the health of our democracy can result in more nuanced and inclusive reporting, greater audience reach, and a stronger, more resilient democracy.

The Race Reporting Handbook addresses how to combat structural and systemic racism in Australia's media landscape. It emphasises an anti-racist approach to reporting to assist media professionals in building stronger community connections and adopting more inclusive editorial policies.

The Commission is currently developing a model for a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Framework will be a whole-of-society approach to addressing racism and will coordinate anti-racism efforts across Australian governments and sectors including business, education, health, justice, and others.

This report will inform the Commission’s development of a National Anti-Racism Framework. The Commission has also conducted extensive consultations as part of this work, including with First Nations and other negatively racialised communities.

The Commission contracted PwC Indigenous Consulting and Jumbunna Institute to conduct the research and produce the report. 

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Report methodology

The research for the report focused on publicly available information from federal, state and local government as well as the community sector including legislation, strategies, plans and frameworks, Reconciliation Action Plans, resource materials, campaigns, research, reviews and evaluations, position statements and grant funding programs. A range of Interviews about relevant policy and programs were also conducted with stakeholders across all levels of government, relevant community organisations, First Nations groups and academic research specialists.

Key Findings

• There is a reluctance on the part of government to use the term ‘racism’
• Existing anti-racism work fails to enter public awareness, and has limited or no monitoring and evaluation or impact assessment
• The burden to address racism is still predominantly borne by people and communities who experience racism, rather than the systems, structures, and institutions that perpetuate it 
• Government work at all levels appears to be ad-hoc, disjointed, and reactive
• Government work is most commonly focused on internal staffing issues
• Policy approaches lead to negatively racialised communities having to compete with each other for funding
• There is limited focus in programs and policies on First Nations communities’ experiences of racism
• Local government tends not to see itself as being responsible for addressing racism
• There is a failure of political bipartisanship on addressing racism
• There are some good practice examples of effective programs that should be supported and amplified

Recommendations

The report makes several high-level recommendations to the Commission, which will be incorporated into the Framework’s ongoing development:

• Recommendation 1: Establishment of a National Anti-Racism Council that brings together First Nations and CALD leaders and experts for the first time to advise government on strategic directions for policy and programs.
• Recommendation 2: Development of a nationally recognised definition of racism.
• Recommendation 3: Development of a clear, whole of government strategic approach to addressing racism and racist behaviours in Australian society.
• Recommendation 4: Inclusion of a formal monitoring and evaluation approach in the Framework for tracking and reporting on progress and implementation of government work addressing racism.
• Recommendation 5: Addressing racism in schools to ensure victims do not leave education facing lifelong disadvantage, and perpetrators do not enter adulthood believing racist behaviours are acceptable and do not attract accountability.
• Recommendation 6: Establishment of a national database or clearinghouse of anti-racism work, policies and programs, research and outcomes.

The Anti-Palestinian Racism in Schools Register was set up by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN). The Tool is designed to collect data regarding incidents of anti-Palestinian racism, following increasing incidents of teachers, school support staff, and parents and guardians experiencing anti-Palestinian racism in schools. 

While providing a much-needed avenue for those experiencing anti-Palestinian racism in schools to share their experiences, the tool also serves to contribute to data collection efforts regarding the types and prevalence of racism in schools. 

Find out more about the Register on the APAN website. 

Visit the Anti-Racism Palestinian Racism in Schools Register directly. 

In response to these issues, the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) convened a roundtable of representatives from across the Australian sporting sector, and anti-racism experts, to discuss opportunities to work together and potential ways forward.

Held on 27 April 2021, the roundtable included a discussion of the need for a set of guidelines to promote a coordinated approach to spectator racism in sports. Over subsequent months, the Commission led a working group in the drafting of these guidelines, which were released by the Commission and over 20 partner organisations in November 2021.

See key learnings from this project via our evaluation - accessible below

The Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool is a free self-assessment tool based on international best practice. The Tool is designed to support employers, managers and human resources personnel as they work to promote cultural diversity and engage in anti-racism in the workplace.

You can access an offline-version of the Tool's assessment questions below. We recommend completing the online version of the Tool, to receive analysed results, recommended resources and track your progress over time.

The Tool is reviewed and updated regularly to align with good practice, the questions within this resource are therefore subject to change. The questions in this resource are valid as of July 2023.

You can find the Tool here: https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/workplace-cultural-diversity-tool.

This report provides an analysis of Islamophobia in Australia, with research data based on reported incidents. This report includes data from the inception of the Islamophobia Register in September 2014, until December 2021. 

You can download the executive summary and the full report below or on the Islamophobia register website (opens in new window). 

Visit the Call It Out website (opens in new window)