Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the call for comments on Australia’s progress on the implementation of the recommendations received by Australia during its third-cycle Universal Periodic Review. Our response draws attention to the issues of particular relevance to women and girls with disability, noting that 32 of the recommendations from Member States related explicitly to people with disabilities.
WWDA commends the Australian Government on the steps it has taken to recognise and advance the human rights of the Australian public since its third-cycle Universal Periodic Review appearance on 20 January 2021. However, WWDA is concerned that those steps have not been adequate to give effect to Australia’s international human rights obligations.
Unfortunately, due to the short timeframe provided, issues of limited resourcing, and the demands of significant reforms within the disability sector, we have been unable to prepare a fulsome response to the call for comments on Australia’s progress. However, we set out our key concerns below and trust that our response will be of assistance to the Australian Government.