The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) has launched a suit of resources to help tackle discrimination in areas of public life such as employment, accommodation, education and goods and services.
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen said while work was underway to decriminalise sex work in Victoria, discrimination remained a common experience for people working in the sex industry
Commissioner Allen said the new guideline and its accompanying fact sheets were essential resources for both sex workers seeking to understand and exercise their rights and organisations seeking to meet their legal obligations to address sex work discrimination.
“Too often sex workers have been stigmatised, marginalised, and left feeling that their trade is somehow shameful or illegitimate,” Commissioner Allen said.
“And no one should have to feel like that for making a living.”
They said as part of the decriminalisation of sex work, the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 had been amended so it was now unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of their profession, trade or occupation, which includes sex work (unless an exception applies).
“Amending the Equal Opportunity Act to protect sex workers from discrimination is a crucial piece of law reform that will ensure people working in the sex industry can live, work and study free from discrimination,” Commissioner Allen said.
“Under the Act, employers, financial institutions, health services and other organisations have a ‘positive duty’ to not just deal with discrimination if it arises, but to take proactive steps to prevent it from occurring in the first place,” they said.
“Organisations need to make sure their approach incorporates both prevention and response.”
VEOHRC’s 100-page Guideline: Sex work discrimination – Your rights and responsibilities under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and accompanying fact sheets can be accessed at this PS News link.
