Australia Gets New Sex Discrimination Commissioner – Professor Ana Cody

Professor Anna Cody, Dean of the School of Law at Western Sydney University has been appointed as Australia’s new Sex Discrimination Commissioner. 

Professor Cody will also look after the LGBTQO portfolio at the  Australian Human Rights Commission.

“Professor Cody’s extensive experience has brought her into contact with women and girls from diverse backgrounds and perspectives including First Nations women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women with disability and LGBTQIA+ women,” Australian Human Rights Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, said in a statement. 

Prof. Cody was previously an Associate Professor and Director of the Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC) at the University of New South Wales and before that she was a lawyer with KLC for over two decades, specialising in discrimination law and human rights. 

“We are delighted to have someone of her calibre join the Commission to advance the work of gender equality and defend the rights of LGBTQIA+ people under the Sex Discrimination Act,” Professor Croucher said, adding, “She will also play a pivotal role in implementing the significant Respect at Work reforms to prevent workplace sexual harassment.\

Renewed Calls For LGBTQI Commissioner

LGBTQI advocacy group welcomed the appointment, but renewed calls for a dedicated LGBTQI Commissioner.  

“Australia must have a stand-alone LGBTIQA+ Human Rights Commissioner, just as there are commissioners for disability, age, youth, sex, race and Indigenous social justice.” said Just.Equal president, Brian Greig, adding that Professor Cody “should not be expected to advocate LGBTIQA+ human rights, as is currently the case.”

According to Just.Equal, in the leadup to the 2019 elections Labor promised an LGBTIQA+ Commissioner but appears to have dropped the commitment.  

“Despite escalating attacks on LGBTIQA+ human rights, the Australian Human Rights Commission has not published any substantive defensive of our rights since September 2021. This shows the need for a dedicated LGBTIQA+ Commissioner,” said Greig.