Racism is widespread throughout Australia and entrenched in society, according to a new report that sets out a national framework for tackling the scourge of racism.

The report, titled ‘An Anti-Racism Framework: Experiences and Perspectives of Multicultural Australia’, was unveiled at the recent Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA), says racism is often being experienced at the same time as another form of discrimination such as disability or sex discrimination.

It is also taking place in people’s schools, workplaces, public spaces, and during interactions with health services or law enforcement, the report, produced by FECCA and the Australia Human Rights Commission, says.

It says: “governments and the media were also found to be culpable in further marginalising people through a culture of silence, which either ignores or minimises incidents of racism or stokes divisions through sensationalist rhetoric”.

“The experiences shared by participants have reinforced findings from previous studies and brought to the forefront the solutions that those with lived experience of racism propose to build a society where racism is actively combated,” the report says.

Launching the report, Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman told the conference systemic racism was prevalent in Australia.

“This is manifest in cultural norms and laws and results in unequal treatment in employment and other areas,” he said.

“We see it in the media, where white power and privilege is entrenched and controls who tells stories and how they are told.

“There is baked in racism, but the framework is a line in the sand. It is a roadmap for equality, dignity and respect to become a reality for everyone, no matter their religion, culture and background,” Mr Sivaraman said.

The report says discussions on racism in Australia are often reduced to the individual level and fail to educate the public on what racism is, and how it permeates the institutions and rules that guide everyday life.

“As these consultations have shown, a narrow view of racism can be particularly damaging when it serves to invalidate victims’ accounts, and to mistakenly frame racism as a matter of subjective perception or intentionality of the perpetrators,” it says.

“The experiences shared by participants have reinforced findings from previous studies and brought to the forefront the solutions that those with lived experience of racism propose to build a society where racism is actively combated.

“Consistently, participants looked at rules, education, institutions, public discourse and public leadership as the drivers for an anti-racism framework,” the report says.

The report sets out 11 recommendations aimed at combating racism. These include the Australian Government leading the way to change and committing to a whole-of-society, anti-racism agenda, such as through a national anti-racism framework.

“Combating First Nations racism must be at the forefront of reform,” the report recommends.

“Schools must educate on racism, including First Nations experiences of settler colonisation, and take a strengths-based approach to racial diversity including via curriculum.

“Public and private institutions, including in education, employment, healthcare, and justice, must have policies in place to address racism in all its forms. This includes incorporating preventative and redress mechanisms, reviewing all current policies and procedures for accessing opportunities and services, and introducing mandatory anti-racism training. 

“Media should employ more professionals from culturally diverse backgrounds that lead news and help to shape anti-racist narratives in Australia,” the report recommends.