This World Day of Social Justice, we recognise the importance of our Amnesty supporters and activists from all around the world who continue to stand up for human rights. Together, we bring torturers to justice, change oppressive laws, and free people jailed just for voicing their opinions.
With worsening conditions around the world, it is important now more than ever for our community of change-makers to unite and call for our governments to step up.
Human rights in Australia
Did you know, Australia is the only liberal democracy in the world without a Human Rights Act? Without one, the government doesn’t need to consider human rights when passing laws or making policy decisions.
And sadly, right now in Australia, people are suffering without one, enduring a cost-of-living crisis without a law to protect our fundamental human rights. Pensioners are living in their cars; single parents and their children are couch surfing.
From the Right to Housing in Australia report by the Human Rights Law Centre:
Too many Australians are living homeless or living in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing. The most recent Australian census showed that there’s been a 5% increase in homelessness since the previous census.
For women and children, domestic violence continues to be a leading cause of homelessness, feeding into other inequalities like health, social and economic participation, and contact with the criminal justice system. Too many are forced into exploitative and dangerous situations to find shelter.
50 jurisdictions around the world have already protected housing as a human right. We know they work. For example, Finland adopted a human-rights-based housing strategy that has significantly reduced homelessness; the rate decreasing by about 80% since the 1980s.
Enough is enough. No one should have to make choices between keeping a roof over their heads, receiving adequate healthcare or putting dinner on the table.
Your impact
The good news is that thanks to Amnesty supporters and activists, we’re closer than ever to protecting all our human rights in law. A Labor-led Parliamentary Committee recently recommended the government legislate a Human Rights Act.
Now, Amnesty is calling on the Albanese government to accept that recommendation and legislate a Human Rights Act to protect all our human rights – including our rights to housing, a healthy environment, freedom of expression and more.
Human rights around the world
Supporters like you continue to take action to protect human rights in Australia and around the world. Thanks to our global movement, we have also supported the long overdue releases of Salma al-Shehab and Neth Nahara.
Salma al-Shehab is a Saudi Arabian woman who spent more than four years imprisoned on terrorism-related charges for posting tweets in support of women’s rights.
Arrested in January 2021 just for tweeting and retweeting Saudi women’s rights activists on Twitter (now X), Salma spent almost 300 days in prolonged solitary confinement, was denied legal representation, and was then repeatedly convicted on terrorism charges and handed a decades-long sentence.
After a four-year ordeal and extensive campaigning from human rights defenders from around the world, Salma al-Shehab was released earlier this month!
“Salma al-Shehab’s ordeal in prison is finally over. For more than four years she has been subjected to one gross injustice after another including at one point being handed an egregious 34-year prison sentence for her social media posts.” – Amnesty International’s Middle East Researcher, Dana Ahmed
“Salma’s release would not have been possible without the tireless campaigning of human rights activists around the world.”
Amnesty International’s Middle East Researcher, Dana Ahmed
Neth Nahara, a mother of two young children, was jailed for criticising Angola’s president on TikTok. She was summarily tried, convicted, and sentenced to six months in prison – later increased to two years.
After more than a year behind bars, Neth Nahara, alongside five other arbitrarily detained government critics in Angola has been released!
With the support of our global change-making community, Amnesty campaigned extensively for the release of the five with petitions, public statements, events and more, and supported them through their families and legal representatives during their imprisonment.
“At last, Neth Nahara, Adolfo Campos, Gildo das Ruas, Tanaice Neutro and Pensador are free. We are overjoyed that they are home with their loved ones.“
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Sarah Jackson
“Though we celebrate their release, these five people should never have been locked up. Authorities arrested them solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. We look forward to them receiving the medical care that authorities deliberately denied them in prison.” – Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Sarah Jackson
Thank you. With the help of committed supporters and activists like you, we can continue to fight against human rights injustices, creating a better future where no one gets left behind.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about a Human Rights Act.
