Australian Human Rights Commission Information for LOI – Australia, 29 August 2016 92. The Commission is of the view that all Australians have the basic human right to feel safe, respected and free from violence in their relationships, families and in their homes. Elder abuse, in many various forms, is a fundamental human rights issue faced by many older people and is presenting a range of complex challenges for the Australian community. 93. At present the evidence about the prevalence of elder abuse in Australia is limited. There is no national prevalence data, but it is almost certain that elder abuse will increase as Australia’s population lives longer, and older people form a greater proportion of the population. There is growing community awareness of elder abuse and the need for coordinated action. In recent years elder abuse has been the subject of investigation by the Queensland,84 and New South Wales85 state parliaments and a Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence.86 94. The Commission notes that in February 2016, the Australian Government, released an Australian Institute of Families Studies (AIFS) report on elder abuse, providing a valuable insight into the nature of abuse in Australia. Building on the AIFS study, the Attorney-General asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to conduct an inquiry into safeguards for older Australians, with the report due by May 2017.87 The Commission is of the view that these initiatives are a first step towards a coordinated national strategy on elder abuse. 95. Issue for consideration in the LOI: Information on the prevalence of elder abuse and strategies to combat this abuse. 10.2 Employment Concluding Observations paras 18, 20 & 24; ICESCR Articles 2, 6 & 7 96. In 2015-16, the Australian Human Rights Commission conducted a National Inquiry into employment discrimination against older Australians and Australians with disability.88 97. The data included in the Willing to Work Report highlights the widespread nature of discrimination against older people in employment: • People aged 55 years and over make up roughly a quarter of the population,89 but only 16% of the total workforce.90 We know from the 2015 Intergenerational Report that this age cohort is the fastest growing in Australia, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. • Labour force participation declines with age. In November 2015, 73.8% of Australians aged 55–59 years were participating in the labour force, with 56.5% of 60–64 year olds and 12.7% of those aged 65 years and over in the labour force.91 • Older people face longer periods of unemployment. In November 2015, the average duration of unemployment for mature age people was 17