In addition to supporting effective anti-racism strategies, the operationalisation of a definition that reflects a systemic, intersectional and nuanced understanding of racism would also serve to build confidence in anti-racism initiatives among those who have lived experience of racism. A focus on the systemic nature of racism The feedback received by the Commission highlighted that definitions of racism need to adequately address its systemic nature. When definitions of racism explicitly incorporate its systemic dimension, they are better equipped to guide anti-racist efforts because they make visible the non-visible ways racism is perpetuated. Systemic racism is when cultural norms, laws, ideologies, policies and practices result in the unfair treatment of some groups compared to others. While the term ‘systemic racism’ is used for convenience, it is important to recognise how the systemic nature of racism manifests in different ways for different individuals and communities. For example, participants in consultations noted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face ongoing impacts from colonisation through the operation of institutions and structures. The definition must clarify that systemic racism is not a symptom of individual racist views, but rather, demonstrate the way that laws, policies and practices are racialised to produce discriminatory outcomes for particular groups based on race, and that this is a key factor contributing to inequitable and harmful outcomes in criminal justice, youth justice, child protection and health systems, as well as housing, economic stability, employment and homelessness. — submission from the National Justice Project, NARF project, May 2021 – April 2022 The Commission heard how the inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other negatively racialised communities are reproduced by settler-colonial systems and structures and are not the result of inadequacies or failures from within these communities. Definitions that bring clarity around the operation of systemic racism as a function of settlercolonialism would address, for example, the ‘deficit discourse’ that characterises discussion about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities about disparities in health, the justice system, employment, education, and other socio-economic factors. The Commission’s Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims project also highlighted the ways in which practices and processes by economic, social, and political institutions reinforce Islamophobia at a systemic level.9 In this project systemic discrimination was identified as a key barrier to seeking employment. Job seekers with Middle Eastern names needed to submit 64% more applications to be granted the same opportunities as an applicant with an Anglo-sounding name.10 The project findings reflected this with participants indicating that their name acted as a threshold barrier to their job application being considered. They also outlined barriers within the interview process including questions about religious beliefs and how, for Muslim women their headscarves, were often a barrier to finding a job, especially within customer service roles. National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 | 53