This International Women's Day, the Commissioners at the Australian Human Rights Commission stand together to call for urgent action to ensure that all women and girls-of every background, age or disability-can live free from violence, discrimination, and inequality.
This year's International Women's Day theme, "For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," is a reminder that gender equality can only be achieved when every woman and girl has their rights upheld, their safety guaranteed, and their voices heard. Gender equality benefits all of us.
For too many women, this vision remains out of reach. Women in Australia continue to face gender-based violence at devastating rates, economic insecurity that puts them at risk, and structural barriers that leave them without access to support or justice. These issues are not separate-they are interconnected. That is why we must take a prevention-first approach that reflects the diversity of Australian women and girls.
We also urge governments to commit to sustainable funding for community-led, trauma-informed, and person-centred solutions, ensuring that the women and communities most affected by violence and discrimination lead the responses. This cannot be achieved without real accountability.
This International Women's Day, we ask Australia to move beyond rhetoric and commit to genuine systemic change. Women's safety must be a guarantee - it cannot be an afterthought.
"International Women's Day is a moment to celebrate progress, but it is also a call to action. We cannot achieve gender equality while women continue to live in fear of violence and discrimination. We know what works in communities, workplaces, and homes, let's listen to women and girls and be led by them."
Dr Anna Cody, Sex Discrimination Commissioner
"For migrant, refugee, and First Nations women and girls, safety is often undermined by racism, visa insecurity, and systemic barriers to justice. True empowerment means ensuring negatively racialised women and girls have equal protection under the law and that their perspectives are built into policy and practice."
Giridharan Sivaraman, Race Discrimination Commissioner
"While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are the bedrock of our communities, we also face challenges like domestic and family violence at disproportionate rates - a crisis further compounded by the ongoing issue of misidentification as perpetrators. Too often, these women remain invisible within the statistics that should be driving our reforms. We must have targeted, culturally informed strategies that acknowledge and address these systemic shortcomings."
Katie Kiss, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
"Housing insecurity has become increasingly widespread among older women. The rate of homelessness among older women has grown by almost 40% in the last ten years. We cannot talk about women's safety without addressing economic inequality and the structural barriers that put them at risk."
Robert Fitzgerald AM, Age Discrimination Commissioner
Women and girls with disability experience higher rates of violence, yet their specific and unique experiences are often not recognised or addressed in gender-based violence responses. We need accessible, and rights-based solutions to ensure no woman or girl is excluded."
Rosemary Kayess, Disability Discrimination Commissioner
"All children should be safe, and their wellbeing should be made a national priority for Australia. 1 in 3 girls experience child sexual abuse. If we are serious about ending gender-based violence, we must stop the violence experienced by children in their homes and ensure that children with trauma get the help they need. For too long we have neglected the wellbeing of children - this International Women's Day I call for child wellbeing to be made a priority for National Cabinet."
Anne Hollonds, National Children's Commissioner
"Australian women and girls are diverse, but one thing that should be shared by us all is being able to live free from violence and fear. International Women's Day is a day to reaffirm the importance of ensuring that these shared rights are upheld for all women and girls."
Lorraine Findlay, Human Rights Commissioner
This International Women's Day, we call on governments, policymakers, and communities to act. For ALL women and girls-Rights, Equality, Empowerment.
