Youth engaged at the Advocate for Children and Young People workshop

17 February 2022

ADNSW Community Engagement staff Claire Williams and Chloe Kang facilitated a discrimination workshop with the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) at the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) on 6 February. ACYP is an independent statutory office reporting to the NSW Parliament and was established under the Advocate for Children and Young People Act 2014. They improve the safety, welfare and wellbeing of all children and young people aged between 12 and 24 in NSW.

The Youth Advisory Council plays an important role by directly providing advice to the NSW Minister responsible for Youth, and the Advocate for Children and Young People on issues, policies and laws that affect children and young people in NSW.

ADNSW heard from participants who shared their personal experience of being treated unfairly due to their age, race and gender. The most common area participants mentioned was work, followed by schools and goods and services.

“They mentioned when young people first enter the workplace, they often experience bullying - young people are particularly vulnerable at a workplace when they had no work experience previously. Also, they may not be able to get support from their manager who may also be the person bullying them,” said ADNSW Community Engagement Officer Claire Williams.

Participants discussed direct and indirect discrimination experienced by young people in NSW related to their gender identity, sexual orientation, disability as well as their carer’s responsibility.

Young Indigenous contributors in the workshop highlighted discrimination by teachers, other students and at workplaces due to their skin colour. They were often told they were ‘too white’ or ‘not dark enough’.

Attendees were informed about the free ADNSW enquiry and conciliation service and how they can make a complaint. The ADNSW team will continue to work alongside ACYP to continue the discussion and research about young people’s experiences of discrimination.