Zero Discrimination Day 2024
Today is Zero Discrimination Day, aimed at promoting “inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change.”
This year’s Zero Discrimination Day theme is “To protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights.”
Former Olympic swimmer and Human Rights Advisor to Sport Integrity Australia Nikki Dryden says that sports at all levels have a responsibility to protect the rights of all participants.
“Upholding everyone’s rights is the responsibility of everyone,” Nikki says.
“In sport, we can play a part in ending discrimination by ensuring that the policies in the National Integrity Framework that prohibit conduct that discriminates against sporting participants based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other human rights are upheld in our local clubs and community sport.
“On Zero Discrimination Day, it is important that we stand up against all forms of discrimination wherever sport is played in Australia.
“Protecting the human rights of sport participants in Australia and means we speak out against negative racial or gender stereotypes, that we stand up against behaviour that discriminates against people with disabilities or LGBTQ+ people, and that we play sport with integrity.”
Sport Integrity Australia’s commitment to discrimination free sport
Sport Integrity Australia’s recently launched campaign Play the Aussie Way aims to do exactly this. The campaign calls on all sport participants and enthusiasts to protect sport together by calling out discrimination and prioritising health through clean sports.
“Racism, child abuse, discrimination and doping have no place in Australian sport.”
The campaign features six athletes from varied backgrounds who all explain what playing the Aussie way means to them.
“Playing the Aussie way means to me enjoying sport for your entire life, it doesn’t matter if you have a disability, what your ethnic background is, what your sexuality is.” – Ellie Cole OAM, Paralympic Swimmer.
Resources and information on the United Nations Zero Discrimination Day 2024 can be found here.
