The book results from a conference to mark the silver anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth). It is described as having two aims -
first; to honour the contributions of both the spirited individuals who valiantly fought for the enactment of the legislation against the odds, and those who championed the new law once it was passed; secondly, to present a stock-take of the Act within the changed socio-political environment of the 21st century.Thornton comments that -
The contributors present clear-eyed appraisals of the legislation, in addition to considering new forms of legal regulation, such as Equality Act, and the significance of a Human Rights Act. The introduction of a proactive model, which would impose positive duties on organisations, is explored as an alternative to the existing individual complaint-based model of legislation. The contributors also pay attention to the international human rights framework, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. The essays are illuminated by recourse to a rich vein of historical and contemporary literature. Regard is also paid to the comparative experience of other jurisdictions, particularly the UK and Canada.Chapters include -
'Women's Work is Never Done: The Pursuit of Equality and the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act' by Marian Sawer
'The Sex Discrimination Act at 25: Reflections on the Past, Present and Future' by Beth Gaze
'The Sex Discrimination Act: Advancing Gender Equality and Decent Work?' by Sara Charlesworth
'Reproducing Discrimination: Promoting the Equal Sharing of Caring Work in CEDAW, at the ILO and in the SDA' by Caroline Lambert
'And Which ‘Equality Act’ Would that Be?' by Simon Rice
'Rethinking the Sex Discrimination Act: Does Canada’s Experience Suggest we should give our Judges a Greater Role?' by Belinda Smith
'Raising Women Up: Analysing Australian Advocacy for Women’s Rights under International and Domestic Law' by Susan Harris Rimmer
'Can We Feminise Human Rights?' by Margaret Thornton
'Sex, Race and Questions of Aboriginality' by Irene Watson & Sharon Venne
