(b) • Women and girls continue to earn less than their male counterparts, with the national gender pay gap currently at 15.3%.33 • One in three Australian women report having experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15.34 Discrimination experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children 58. In consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls as part of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani project, the Commission has identified experiences of racism as a top emerging issue for girls. 59. Structural and institutional racism are identified as obstacles to addressing the continued overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection and youth justice systems.35 60. In March 2008, governments across the jurisdictions in Australia agreed to work together, through the Closing the Gap Strategy, to achieve equity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians.36 61. Five of the targets specifically relate to children. Three of these targets expire in 2018, including child mortality, school attendance, reading and numeracy and Year 12 equivalent attainment.37 62. Three targets—child mortality, early childhood education and Year 12 equivalent attainment—are reported as being on track to be met.38 However, this is not occurring across all jurisdictions in Australia. 63. In terms of child mortality, the national target only includes results for NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as they are the only jurisdictions considered to have adequate levels of Indigenous identification.39 64. Targets for early childhood education are not on track to be met in the Northern Territory.40 65. Year 12 attainment targets are not on track to be met in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.41 66. School attendance and literacy and numeracy targets are not on track to be met by the time that they expire in 2018. 42 12

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