Looking back with humility, looking forward with hope

One of the great privileges of my role as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner has been the opportunity to have honest conversations with people about the issues that matter most. Speaking on stage with Shirley Leader at Unbreakable, the NCJWA national conference in Sydney, was one of those conversations.

We covered a wide range of topics, from genetic discrimination and women’s rights to antisemitism and the future of human rights. While each issue was different, I found myself returning to the same underlying question: how do we stay true to the ideal of universal human rights during difficult and divisive times?

Our conversation started with an issue close to my heart – the recent reforms to prevent genetic discrimination in life insurance. My mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer in her 30s, so I have a personal understanding of why this matters. For many people, including women of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage who may face difficult decisions because of a higher prevalence of certain inherited genetic mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer, the principle is simple: no one should have to choose between protecting their health and protecting their future.

We also discussed the current tensions surrounding sex-based rights and gender identity protections. My starting point remains that human rights belong to everybody. No one should be subjected to hatred or discrimination, and transgender people – like all of us – should be able to live in safety and dignity. But protecting the rights of one group should never require us to diminish or obscure the rights of another. Women’s rights have been hard won and must remain protected, including through clear legal recognition of sex-based rights and legal certainty around designated single-sex spaces. That is why I said at Unbreakable that I support common sense reform of the Sex Discrimination Act.

The most personal part of our conversation was about the rise of antisemitism in Australia and the role of institutions like the Australian Human Rights Commission in responding to it.

As I come to the end of my term as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what I could have done differently. My greatest regret is that I did not speak out earlier and more clearly about the rise in antisemitism, particularly following the Sydney Opera House protest. At Unbreakable, I acknowledged that some people in the room may have lost faith in me, the Commission, and the broader human rights community because of that delay.

For that, I am genuinely sorry.

I cannot change the past, but I can learn from it. One lesson I will carry with me is that hatred must be confronted early, clearly and without hesitation. When institutions and leaders fail to do so, even with the best of intentions, the consequences can be profound. The burden of defending human rights should never fall solely on the people whose rights are directly under attack. Confronting antisemitism is a responsibility that must be shared by all of us. It is a test not only of our commitment to Jewish Australians, but more broadly of our commitment to the values of respect, freedom and equality that underpin our democracy.

Despite the seriousness of these issues, I left the conversation feeling hopeful.

I often return to Eleanor Roosevelt’s observation that human rights begin ‘in small places, close to home’. Too often it can feel as though the loudest voices are the most extreme ones. But my experience has been that most Australians do not want to live in a country consumed by hatred and division. And they believe that, despite our differences, we are all better off when we look out for one another.

If there is one thing I have learned, it is that human rights work requires both humility and hope: humility to acknowledge when we have fallen short, and hope that we can do better. Looking back, there are things I wish I had done differently. Looking forward, however, I remain optimistic. Not because the challenges are small, but because most Australians are still willing to stand up for one another and for the values that bring us together.

That, more than anything else, gives me confidence in the future. The conversation at Unbreakable gave me an opportunity to reflect honestly on lessons learned. It also reinforced my optimism about what lies ahead. While my term as Human Rights Commissioner is coming to an end, my commitment to human rights is not. I look forward to continuing to stand alongside the women at Unbreakable, and all Australians who share these values, to make sure Australia is a place where universal human rights matter, where differences are navigated with respect, and where no one is left wondering whether their dignity and rights will be protected.

Lorraine Finlay is Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner.