Government Report Reveals Pervasive and Systemic Racial Discrimination in Australian Universities

Kathmandu. A government report has revealed that racial discrimination is widespread and deeply entrenched systemically in Australian universities.

According to the report prepared by the Australian Human Rights Commission, racial discrimination is profoundly affecting both students and staff. In a survey conducted on over 76,000 students and staff across 42 universities, 70 percent of participants reported experiencing indirect racial discrimination. This includes experiences of hearing or witnessing racial slurs targeted at their communities.

More than 90 percent of Jewish and Palestinian individuals who participated in the survey reported experiencing racial discrimination. Similarly, members of the Aboriginal Australian, African, Chinese, Northeast Asian, and Middle Eastern communities also experienced racial discrimination at rates exceeding 80 percent.

Giridharan Sivaraman, Commissioner for Racial Discrimination in Australia, stated, "Racial discrimination causes profound harm to individuals and communities. It undermines a person's identity and self-respect, erodes their sense of belonging and safety, and, if left unchecked, can escalate into violence."

The government ordered the preparation of this report in May 2024 to understand the state of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racial discrimination in universities.