The Victorian Government is building multicultural capacity within our departments and embedding human rights knowledge and practices at every level of government.
All Victorian government departments have been part of the Charter Education Program led by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC). The program helps to build a culture of human rights across the Victorian public service.
The following section sets out the initiatives undertaken by individual departments.
Initiatives undertaken by individual departments
DE mandated an e-learning module to introduce staff to the Charter of Human Rights during their induction. This included the Charter’s relationship
to their work. Throughout the year, the department builds on this foundational knowledge by acknowledging and encouraging participation in events and days that promote diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness.In 2023–24, DE promoted Cultural Diversity Week, Human Rights Week and Human Rights Day to staff through its Corporate News. DE encouraged staff to celebrate these events by participating in the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s week of daily actions and attending relevant events and training.
DEECA participated in the Charter Education Program in 2023–24.
This included tailored sessions in the Regions, Environment, Climate Action and First Peoples Group. Modules focused on:
- understanding how the Charter operates
in Victoria
- building knowledge of protected human rights
- mapping decision making under the Charter and identifying ways to embed and improve practice
- identifying the public sector’s Charter obligations and how human rights can
be lawfully limited
- exploring relevant scenarios to apply human rights in day-to-day work
- knowing where to go for more information
and resources.
- understanding how the Charter operates
DFFH mandated an e-learning module during induction to introduce staff to the Charter of
Human Rights and its relationship to their work.DFFH also takes part in annual events that celebrate human rights, including:
- Cultural Diversity Week
- International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Human Rights Day
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- International Day of People with Disability
- International Women’s Day
- NAIDOC Week
- Reconciliation Week.
Fairer Victoria also promoted diversity and inclusion in policy and program development across the Victorian Government.
DFFH was the Oceanic Pacific Region’s Regional Convening Partner (RCP) for the 2023 Women Deliver Global Conference (WD2023). DFFH contributed $1.167 million to support key responsibilities of this role.
In this role, Victoria partnered with the Commonwealth Government to convene a diverse regional committee comprising Australian and Pacific-based non-governmental partners. The committee prepared shared regional advocacy for this global conference.
As part of this work, Victoria also hosted an inclusive regional event in Melbourne and led a delegation of representatives from Australia and the Pacific to the WD2023 conference in Kigali in July 2023.
DGS’s Charter Education Program work in 2023–24 included:
- Commissioner briefing for the Board
of Management
- intensive programs for legal staff
- briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series
for all employees
- mandatory e-learning module for all staff
on the Charter of Human Rights.
To ensure efficient and accessible registration, Births, Deaths and Marriages improved services
and streamlined processes for priority communities, including:- case management support for WEstjustice and the Wyndham Community and Education Centre (WCEC) to help refugee migrants during the name-change process
- increasing frontline staff and digitisation to reduce application turnaround times (from 105 days to just 12) and call centre wait times.
- Commissioner briefing for the Board
Every DH employee has a role to promote a human rights culture at work. During 2023–24, the department provided mandatory human rights elearning on Charter responsibilities. All new starters must complete the module as part of their induction, and every 2 years as a refresher. During 2023–24, 1,006 staff successfully completed the training.
DH staff also had access to unconscious bias training and to the intensive Charter Capability Program delivered over 4 sessions.
DJSIR actively supports human rights, including for multicultural communities. DJSIR staff have access to tailored learning, guides and resources, events and activities that help them act in accordance with the Charter.
DJSIR encourages all staff to complete the first 3 modules in the VEOHRC online education program, which cover:
- introducing the Charter
- rights and obligations under the Charter
- embedding a human rights culture in Victoria.
DJSIR also provides staff with the Charter guide for public sector workers to help them understand their responsibilities and how to implement human rights.
The department celebrates annual human rights events, such as Cultural Diversity Week, Refugee Week, Human Rights Week and the International Day of Human Rights.
Youth justice operational staff received training on the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act as part of their induction. This ensures they understand the rights of children and young people. All training and practice instructions also reflect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In addition, DJCS strengthened anti-vilification laws to protect more Victorians from hate speech and conduct. It also undertook extensive consultation with the Victorian community, including with multicultural and multifaith communities, on potential reforms to Victoria's existing anti-vilification laws.
The proposed reforms protect and promote human rights by:
- extending anti-vilification protections to more Victorians
- improving how serious vilification offences and civil protections operate
- expanding VEOHRC’s powers to better respond to vilification.
DJCS published a report on the outcomes of the consultation on the Engage Victoria website in
May 2024.DPC’s Charter Education Program work in 2023–24 included:
- Commissioner briefing for the Board of Management
- intensive programs for legal staff
- briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series
for all employees
- mandatory eLearning module for all staff on the Charter of Human Rights.
DPC also acknowledges key annual events that celebrate human rights, including:
- Cultural Diversity Week
- Human Rights Day
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- International Day of People with Disability
- International Women’s Day
- NAIDOC Week
- Reconciliation Week.
In 2023–24, DPC’s Multicultural Affairs portfolio worked with the Treaty and First Peoples portfolio on Victoria’s first anti-racism strategy. The strategy provides a 5-year roadmap to reducing racism in all forms – interpersonal, institutional and structural.
All DTP staff must complete e-learning modules on the Charter. This includes a specific module for people leaders in the organisation.
In 2023–24, DTP provided 2 in-person Charter Education Program sessions to the Legal and Governance Division and the Inclusion and Diversity Branch.
DTP celebrates annual human rights events, including:
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
- International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- International Day of People with Disability
- International Women’s Day
- NAIDOC Week.
DGS ran the Charter Education Program for DTF employees in 2024, which included:
- Commissioner briefing for the Board of Management
- briefings for executive leaders on their responsibilities under the Charter
- promoting the VPS Charter webinar series for all employees
- mandatory elearning module for all staff on the Charter of Human Rights.
Updated