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Complaints received and finalised under the Sex Discrimination Act
Measure: The number of complaints received and finalised under the Sex Discrimination Act
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Baseline value
561 complaints received; 461 complaints finalised
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Latest value
561 complaints received; 461 complaints finalised in 2022–23
Last updated:
Interpretation
An increase in the number of complaints received and finalised may indicate a greater confidence to report from victims but can also be due to legislative changes, which may increase coverage or expand definitions of existing categories of protected persons. An increase in the number of complaints received may not necessarily indicate a greater prevalence of a discrimination in the community.
This measure should be considered alongside other data about the prevalence of discrimination or harassment where available.
Outcome: 1 Systems and institutions effectively support and protect people impacted by gender-based violence (GBV)
Sub-outcome: 1.5 Workplaces are safe from all forms of GBV and are actively preventing sexual harassment and discrimination
Indicator: Increased confidence by people to report sexual harassment and discrimination including racism
Baseline: 2022–23
Latest year: 2022–23
Data source: AHRC Complaint statistics
Source: DSS 2024.
For information about how this measure is derived, please refer to the Technical specifications for National Plan Outcomes.
Additional National Plan Outcomes data are available from the Data downloads page.
Time series
Complaints received and finalised under the Sex Discrimination Act, 2021–22 and 2022–23 (Number)
| Year | Received | Finalised |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 597 | 555 |
| 2022–23 | 561 | 461 |
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
State and territory
Complaints received
Complaints received under the Sex Discrimination Act, by jurisdiction, 2021–22 and 2022–23 (Number)
| Jurisdiction | 2021–22 | 2022–23 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 237 | 223 |
| Vic | 111 | 110 |
| Qld | 111 | 114 |
| WA | 61 | 50 |
| SA | 37 | 29 |
| Tas | 4 | 3 |
| ACT | 18 | 12 |
| NT | 6 | 6 |
| Overseas/unknown | 12 | 14 |
Notes:
- Any increase in complaints between 2021–22 and 2022–23 may relate to legislative changes in 2021 and 2022 and the associated increased public discourse.
- Demographic data is only collected if it is relevant to a complaint, it is not information that is required by the Australian Human Rights Commission and is requested/provided on a voluntary basis.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
Complaints finalised
Complaints finalised under the Sex Discrimination Act, by jurisdiction, 2021–22 and 2022–23 (Number)
| Jurisdiction | 2021–22 | 2022–23 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 204 | 167 |
| Vic | 97 | 92 |
| Qld | 132 | 95 |
| WA | 54 | 47 |
| SA | 24 | 37 |
| Tas | 9 | 3 |
| ACT | 16 | 12 |
| NT | 2 | 5 |
| Overseas/unknown | 17 | 3 |
Notes:
- Any increase in complaints between 2021–22 and 2022–23 may relate to legislative changes in 2021 and 2022 and the associated increased public discourse.
- Demographic data is only collected if it is relevant to a complaint, it is not information that is required by the Australian Human Rights Commission and is requested/provided on a voluntary basis.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
Population characteristics
Sex
Complaints received
Complaints received under the Sex Discrimination Act, by sex, 2021–22 and 2022–23 (Number)
| Sex | 2021–22 | 2022–23 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Females | 429 | 387 |
| Males | 137 | 134 |
| Intersex | 0 | 8 |
| Other category~ | 31 | 32 |
Notes:
- Any increase in complaints between 2021–22 and 2022–23 may relate to legislative changes in 2021 and 2022 and the associated increased public discourse.
- Demographic data is only collected if it is relevant to a complaint, it is not information that is required by the Australian Human Rights Commission and is requested/provided on a voluntary basis.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
~: includes sex not specified, joint/multiple complainants, or organisations.
Complaints finalised
Complaints finalised under the Sex Discrimination Act, by sex, 2021–22 and 2022–23 (Number)
| Sex | 2021–22 | 2022–23 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Females | 382 | 346 |
| Males | 121 | 89 |
| Intersex | 0 | 2 |
| Other category~ | 52 | 24 |
Notes:
- Any increase in complaints between 2021–22 and 2022–23 may relate to legislative changes in 2021 and 2022 and the associated increased public discourse.
- Demographic data is only collected if it is relevant to a complaint, it is not information that is required by the Australian Human Rights Commission and is requested/provided on a voluntary basis.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
~: includes sex not specified, joint/multiple complainants, or organisations.
Related material
See the related content in the AIHW Family, domestic and sexual violence website:
More information
DSS (2024) Performance measurement plan, DSS, accessed 8 May 2024.
Related measures
See the related National Plan Outcomes measures:
- Previous page People who made a report or complaint about sexual harassment in the workplace