This week National Anti-Poverty Week is marked by the launch of new Churchill Fellowship report into homelessness and poverty discrimination law frameworks around the world by Farzana Choudhury, who supports some of the most vulnerable members of the community – people facing homelessness, fleeing family violence and facing discrimination. Ms Choudry is launching her report with a live broadcast event with experts from Canberra, Chicago and Canada on 21 October at midday AEDT.
Farzana’s report was written after Churchill Fellowship this year took her to New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom to investigate world’s best practice in poverty discrimination laws to protect the rights of some of the most disadvantaged members of the community.
Ms Choudry said “Poverty and homelessness are both local and global problems. Australia can learn from overseas. We can definitely do better. Unfortunately, too many people are treated unfairly and excluded because of their socio-economic status.”
“Overseas, laws respond to poverty discrimination and provide better legal protection for vulnerable people in society. Across Australia, this is currently not the case in every jurisdiction.” said Ms Choudry.
“While overseas I met people being denied rental properties because they receive government income support, people being denied access to services due to appearing homeless, and people living on the streets having their belongings destroyed. I observed overseas poverty discrimination laws in action, and I am advocating for stronger discrimination law protections for marginalised communities in Australia.”
Adam Davey, CEO of the Winston Churchill Trust said “I commend Farzana on her report and urge jurisdictions to take up these findings, to create greater protections in human rights for vulnerable people in Australia to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Genevieve Bolton, Executive Director and Principal Solicitor at Canberra Community Law welcomed Farzana’s report saying, “Farzana’s report will be an important tool for strengthening protections against poverty-based discrimination. It will also help us to establish an accessible complaints mechanism for our ACT Human Rights Act.”
Report Launch and Anti-Poverty Week event:
When: 21st October, 2022
Time: 12pm – 1:15pm AEDT
Read Farzana’s report here.