• • • • Information on measures to strengthen efforts to support women in paid work and unpaid caring work and reduce gender gaps in workforce participation, wages and retirement incomes and savings, and information on responses taken to address the particular challenges faced by women and girls during the COVID pandemic. Steps taken to fully implement the Respect@Work and Set the Standard reports. Information about measures to increase prevention and early intervention initiatives on DFV, including tailored measures to address intersectional discrimination, and information on funding for specialist support services. Information about measures to address sexual harassment and sexual assault in educational environments. Older persons 29. Older Australians face challenges relating to stereotyping and various forms of abuse. The Commission’s report, What’s age got to do with it, highlighted the pervasiveness of ageism in Australian society.61 The Commission welcomes the launch of the National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Australians (2019–2023).62 Age discrimination is a major barrier to the participation of older Australians in the labour force, and has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.63 The ALRC’s report Elder Abuse—A National Legal Response64 and the Commission’s Willing to Work report65 address these issues and make recommendations. • Information about responses to workplace discrimination, elder abuse and stereotyping against older Australians Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse and intersex people 30. The Commission welcomed marriage equality legislation66 and legislation expunging historic criminal convictions for consensual homosexual sex.67 31. The Commission is concerned about involuntary surgery on people born with variations in sex characteristics, especially infants.68 The Commission has recently released a report, A human rights-based approach for people born with variations in sex characteristics, with recommendations to address these practices.69 32. The Commission remains concerned that people experience discrimination at work on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex (SOGII) status, including higher rates of sexual harassment. The Commission remains concerned that children and young people experience disproportionately high rates of discrimination, harassment and abuse at school on the basis of SOGII status.70.Section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) creates an exception for educational institutions established for religious purposes. This renders discrimination by religious schools against teachers and students not unlawful on the basis of grounds including SOGII status, where certain conditions are met. The Commission notes that the Government’s proposed Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 includes an overly broad general exemption that would enable discrimination against SOGII students and teachers if passed in its current form.71 • 6 Information on Government response to the Commission’s report on people born with variations in sex characteristics, and steps taken to ensure a nationally consistent human rights-based approach to medical interventions.