Improving the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act: recommendations from the 2008 Senate Inquiry

One way to characterise the Rudd Government’s first year in office would be by the flurry of inquiries and reports that it commissioned. Three related to gender equality. The Productivity Commission conducted an inquiry into a national paid maternity, paternity and parental leave scheme and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations conducted an inquiry into pay equity. This article is concerned with a third inquiry — the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (the committee) inquiry into the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (SDA) in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality. These inquiries were not the Rudd Government’s only activities in relation to sex discrimination and gender equality. It also enacted legislation which removed discrimination against same sex couples from 68 Commonwealth laws and announced its intention to accede to the Optional Protocol to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.