THE YEAR IN REVIEW From the President. The 2020–2021 financial year has been a period of great hardship for many people in Australia and across the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued unabated for the entire reporting period. Millions of Australians have been in lockdown with stay-at-home public health orders for lengthy periods of time. Children have been educated remotely from home, and without access to the great benefits and community that schools offer. Borders between states and territories have shut, often at short notice and for lengthy periods of time. Families have been separated. Many people have struggled economically, with uncertain employment exacerbated by lockdowns and being felt particularly by the most marginalised in our community. The situation has been overwhelming and has undoubtedly created challenges for the mental health of people across the community. But there have been signs of reassurance too. Outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia have been contained to a greater extent than most other places globally, although we are now challenged by the highly contagious Delta variant. Leaders of governments nationally have also engaged in regular, often daily, dialogue with the public to explain their actions to protect the lives and health of all people in Australia – something that is unprecedented in modern times. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been untouched by the virus for the duration of the pandemic – a testament to the success and importance of Indigenous community-controlled health services. And workplaces nationally have quickly adapted to more flexible styles of working from home and accommodating caring responsibilities – forever changing traditional cultural attitudes to work. As with last year, I have been humbled and inspired by the extraordinary efforts of our frontline workers. Everyone is playing their part – most of the community have demonstrated their willingness to do their bit to prevent the spread of COVID-19, by social distancing and accepting very difficult restrictions on individual liberties and freedoms in the name of a greater good. So many Australians are now being vaccinated to reach the herd immunity that will make it so much easier to live with COVID-19. It has been the most extraordinary display of commitment. It has highlighted vividly that we are more than a collection of individuals. That we see ourselves as part of a community, with responsibilities to each other, and where the rights of each other matter. Annual Report 2020–2021 Australian Human Rights Commission 15