Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee, 18 September 2017 to solemnise a marriage in accordance with the doctrines, tenets and beliefs of the minister’s religious body or organisation. 9 Women Violence against women (ICCPR articles 2, 3, 7 & 26; LOI 10) 76. Violence against women in Australia remains endemic and continues to have a negative impact on the realisation of women’s civil and political rights. 77. The Commission commends efforts made to address violence against women under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–22 (the National Plan).85 The Commission also commends the Government’s additional funding committed in 2015 to both prevention and response measures and services.86 78. The Commission is concerned about the lack of Australia-wide data on domestic and family violence deaths. The Commission has highlighted the importance of the domestic and family violence death review process and proposed measures to ensure national coherence and collection of data on domestic and family violence deaths.87 79. Gender inequality often intersects with other forms of inequality to affect the nature and prevalence of family and domestic violence. Women with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, lesbian, bisexual, trans and intersex women, and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, often experience higher rates of family and domestic violence and face additional barriers to seeking help and support.88 Recommendation 27: That the Australian Government undertake further work to understand the nature and prevalence of family and domestic violence, and sexual assault and sexual harassment for women experiencing intersectional discrimination. Recommendation 28: That all Australian Governments commit to strengthening national family and domestic violence data collection and reporting mechanisms. Sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace and in university settings (ICCPR articles 2, 3, 7 & 26; LOI 10) 80. In 2012, the Commission reported in its Working without fear: Results of the Sexual Harassment National Telephone Survey report (Working without fear report) that 21% of people in Australia had been sexually harassed since the age of 15, with the majority (68%) experiencing this harassment in the workplace.89 The survey also found that sexual harassment affects more women than men. One-third of women (33%) had been sexually harassed since the age of 15, compared to 9% of men.90 81. The Commission commends the Government for funding the Commission’s 2017 survey, which is underway. 18