Dismantling systemic racism – perspectives from First Nations peoples

Governments must recognise systemic racism and its devastating impacts on Australia’s First Nations peoples and take urgent action to address it, a new report has found.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said, “Systemic racism, in law, policies and service delivery, has serious and ongoing consequences, including poor mental and physical health, economic disadvantage, over-incarceration and social exclusion.”

“The intergenerational trauma of colonisation continues to disadvantage First Nations communities. We heard that truth telling, education about historical impacts and a commitment to self-determination are critical to dismantling racism against Indigenous Australians,” Mr Sivaraman said.

The Australian Human Rights Commission engaged First Nations Collective Consulting to consult with First Nations people across the country on their experiences of racism and what should be done to address it. Their report, An Anti-Racism Framework: Voices of First Nations Peoples, draws on extensive consultations, with 496 contributions from city, rural and remote First Nations people. The report found that systemic racism is infringing on basic human rights such as health, education and justice.

In healthcare First Nations patients often face racism and prejudice from providers, resulting in inadequate care and a distrust of the system. This in turn leads to poorer health outcomes, chronic disease and low mortality.  

Within the justice system, First Nations people are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement and subjected to harsher sentencing, high incarceration rates, deaths in custody and over-policing.

The report also found high levels of unconscious bias against First Nations people which is often ingrained in different areas of life. In workplaces for example, unconscious bias affects recruitment, promotion and professional development.

First Nations people said the media bears responsibility for negative stereotyping and fuelling unconscious bias.

More than 80% of people consulted said that overt racism such as disrespecting culture and hurtful comments and actions affected them.

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort to reform systems, educate individuals, and ensure meaningful representation for First Nations peoples.

The report makes several important recommendations including for improved accountability mechanisms, First Nations advisory bodies, standardised cultural safety education, and cross-sector workforce strategies. 

The findings and recommendations of the report are informing the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Anti-Racism Framework to be launched later this month. The Commission is deeply grateful to all those who took part in the consultations and who shared their concerns, priorities and solutions and to First Nations Collective Consulting for listening to and sharing these stories with us.

The report’s findings were the subject of today’s 10th annual Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture. The lecture was sponsored by the EU Delegation to Australia. Watch the recording.

Read the full report. 

ENDS
Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897