Paula Gerber

Australia’s under-16s social media ban has severed vital online lifelines for marginalised young people, with advocates warning the policy will deepen isolation, undermine mental health and violate key child rights protections.

Tasmania has become the first Australian state to compensate LGBTIQA+ people convicted under historic anti-gay and cross-dressing laws, marking a major human rights milestone.

The answer is a tentative no, with three recent Australian legal decisions reaffirming the legal rights of trans people.

Advances in reproductive technologies, and contemporary family structures, have turned familial relationships on their head, and human rights law needs to catch up.

In Tickle vs Giggle, the court had to consider where gender identity sits in the Sex Discrimination Act. The landmark decision sets a precedent to protect transgender people nationally.

A parliamentary committee has recommended a dedicated act to protect human rights. Here’s how it could work.

The PALM scheme has some problematic elements, and there are mixed feelings about it within Pacific Island countries.

For the first time since gender identity was added to the Sex Discrimination Act, it’s being tested in court. At its heart, the case looks at the rights and recognition of transgender people.

A response of bigotry or hatred is common for people identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, just as it is for people coming out as gay, bi, trans or queer.

The rights of trans people have become a highly divisive political issue in the US and UK. Recent events underline how we must be proactive in ensuring Australia doesn’t mirror their transphobic environments.

Fijian youth are combining modern science with traditional knowledge to develop innovative responses to the immediate threat posed by climate change.

Judging by what the new federal government has promised, the answer appears to be a resounding “Yes”.

It’s time to ask our politicians the hard questions about what they intend to do to strengthen human rights protections if elected to government.

Despite decades of talk about how to attract and retain women in construction, the participation rate in the industry is getting worse.

We must move towards the universal protection of the right of LGBTIQ people to live their lives in dignity and equality, regardless where they live in the world.

While stories of human rights violations, and dire warnings about pandemics and an uncertain economic future seem unconnected, research reveals common roots in systemic inequality and discrimination in Australia.

<p dir=“ltr”>Although 2021’s only a few months old, we’ve already seen a plethora of controversies.</p> <p dir=“ltr”>Every day we read about violence against women, verbal attacks of vulnerable people by those in positions of power, and dire warnings about pandemics, climate change, and an uncertain economic future.</p> <p dir=“ltr”>On their face, these stories seem separate and unconnected. But two Monash academics have spearheaded research that “connects the dots”, revealing a patchwork quilt…

A UNICEF report paints a bleak picture of Australian children's mental health, happiness and life satisfaction.

Expect plenty of rainbow weddings in 2018, but same-sex marriage sends a more powerful message than that.