Discrimination is when you are treated unfairly or differently because you belong to a particular group.

When is Discrimination Against the Law?

Discrimination is against the law if you can choose one thing from Group 1 AND one thing from Grooup 2.

GROUP 1

You were treated unfairly because you are:

• Aboriginal (or some other race) male or female
• married, single or living together as boyfriend/girlfriend (de facto)
• gay or lesbian, or someone thinks you are
• considered too old or too young disabled
• whether your disability is physical, mental or related to a disease
• transgender, transsexual, sistagirl, or if someone thinks you are pregnant
• related to or hang out with someone who is one of the above.

GROUP 2

This unfair treatment happens when you are:

• at work
• looking for work
• at school, TAFE or another education place
• at a registered club
• trying to get accommodation or dealing with a landlord
• trying to buy something from, or do business with, a place like Centrelink, a bank, a hospital, shop, council, restaurant, or use public transport.

Sexual Harassment

What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. It is any sexual action which makes you feel uncomfortable, offended, humiliated or intimidated. It can include:

• unwelcome sexual advances (when someone tries to crack onto you)
• requests for sexual favours sexual jokes
• wolf-whistling
• staring
• unwanted touching

If sexual harassment happens in one of the following situations it is against the law:

• at work or trying to get work (like if your work mates make sexual jokes and have porno lying around)
• at school, TAFE or other education places (like if a teacher asks for sex)
• at a sporting activity (like if your coach makes sexual comments to you)
• trying to get accommodation (like renting or buying a house, or trying to get a motel room or a caravan)
• when you try to buy things from, or do business with, a place like a bank, local council, shop, hospital or use public transport.

REMEMBER: Discrimination complaints to the Anti-Discrimination Board have to be made within 12 months of the incident and complaints to the Human Rights Commission have to be made within 12 months of the incident.

If you think that you have been Discriminated against or are a victim of Sexual Harassment call:

Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women's Legal Centre

1800-686-587

(02)9569-3847

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

1300-656-419

Anti-Discrimination Board

1800-670-812

Disclaimer: The information contained on this Fact Sheet is only meant as a guide and cannot replace legal advice. If you have a legal problem you should speak to a lawyer for some legal advice. Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women's Legal Centre excludes liability for any loss suffered by any person which results from the use or reliance upon the information contained on this Fact Sheet.