Announced today by Attorney-General Robert McClelland, the amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 were made in response to recommendations made by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs following a review of the effectiveness of the Act in 2008. The announcement comes after the Government faced criticism last month from the Law Council of Australia for its delayed and limited response to the Committee's report.

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The amendments will establish breastfeeding as a separate ground of discrimination; extend protections from discrimination on the grounds of family responsibilities to both women and men in all areas of employment; ensure that protections from sex discrimination apply equally to women and men; and provide greater protection from sexual harassment for students and workers.