Human rights calendar

Dates shown for some events may vary for different locations.

Table of human rights events and celebrations
January	Event	Details
4	World Braille Day	World Braille Day marks the birth of Louis Braille, who invented 'braille' - a system of touch reading and writing that uses raised dots to represent the letters of the print alphabet for people who are blind or visually impaired.
February	Back to top
1 to 7	World Interfaith Harmony Week	This United Nations observance encourages mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue between all religions, faiths, and beliefs. It is celebrated during the first week of February.
13	Anniversary of Apology to Stolen Generations in 2008	On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave a public apology to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Federal Government for past laws, policies and practices that devastated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
20	World Day of Social Justice (UN)	World Day of Social Justice is a day recognising the need to promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment.
21	International Mother Language Day (UNESCO)	Mother Language Day promotes linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, and encourages the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.
March	Back to top
3	World Hearing Awareness Day	This week raises awareness about deafness, hearing impairments, and hearing health. One in six Australians is affected by hearing loss.
8 (IWD) 3 to 11 (week)	International Women's Day and Queensland Women's Week	International Women's Day celebrates women's achievements, and provides the opportunity to reflect on the challenges that remain. In Queensland, the week-long event recognises and celebrates the achievements of Queensland’s women and girls.
15	National Close the Gap Day	This day raises awareness about the gap in health and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians, and that health equality is a fundamental right for all people.
16	National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence	The National Day of Action is the key anti-bullying event for Australian schools. It is an opportunity for whole school communities to take a stand together against bullying and violence. It is celebrated on the third Friday in March.
21	Harmony Day /International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN)	Harmony Day is a day of cultural respect for everyone, and its message is everyone belongs . This day is also celebrated as the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
April	Back to top
6 to 15 April	Queensland Youth Week	This week celebrates the achievements, vitality and strength of young people aged 12 to 25, and acknowledges their positive contribution to communities.
7	World Health Day (UN)	Marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation in 1948. A priority area of public health concern is highlighted each year.
28	World Day for Safety and Health at Work (ILO)	International Labour Organization event to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
25	International Guide Dog Day	This day recognises the role guide dogs play in assisting people who are blind or vision impaired.
May	Back to top
15	International Day of Families (UN)	This annual UN observance is an iopportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families, and to increase knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic processes affecting them.
16	International Day of Living Together in Peace (UN)	This United Nations Day is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognise, respect, and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way.
17	IDAHOBIT Day (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia)	Marks the date in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and is a celebration of sexual and gender diversities.
17	Global Accessibility Awareness Day	The third Thursday in May has been designated as GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) to get eveyone thinking about digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities.
21	World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development	This day provides an opportunity for people to deepen their understanding of the values of cultural diversity, as advanced by the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
26	Sorry Day	National Sorry Day is an annual day of commemoration and remembrance of all those who have been impacted by the government policies of forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, resulting in the Stolen Generations. On this day in 1997 the Bringing them home report was tabled in the national Parliament.
27	Anniversary of 1967 Referendum	The 1967 referendum saw over 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the national census.
27 May to 3 June	Reconciliation Week	Reconciliation week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can join the national reconciliation effort.
June	Back to top
3	Mabo Day	Commemorates Eddie Koiki Mabo and the High Court decision which legally recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a special relationship to the land—that existed prior to colonalisation and still exists today. This recognition paved the way for land rights called Native Title.
18–24	Refugee Week	Refugee Week is Australia's peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees, and to celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Refugee Week is always held from Sunday to Saturday of the week which includes 20 June (World Refugee Day).
15	World Elder Abuse Awareness Day	Elder Abuse Day is a United Nations designated day when the world voices its opposition to abuse and suffering inflicted on older people. Elder abuse is a human rights violation.
26	International Day in Support of Victims of Torture	This is a day to pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. Australia is signatory to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
July	Back to top
1	Coming of the Light Festival	The Coming of the Light is a holiday celebrated by Torres Strait Islanders on 1 July each year. It recognises the adoption of Christianity through island communities during the late nineteenth century.
8–15	NAIDOC week	NAIDOC week is a time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
August	Back to top
1–31	Queensland Multicultural Month	This month is the state's largest celebration of multiculturalism, and features events and activities across Queensland that celebrate the state's diversity and different cultures.
1–7	World Breast Feeding Week	A week which promotes the health benefits of breastfeeding and encourages support for breastfeeding mothers.
4	National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day	This day celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, has expressed particular concern about the serious and widespread discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
6–12	Homelessness week	This week is used to raise awareness of people experiencing homelessness and the associated issues.
9	International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (UN)	This is a United Nations observance to draw attention to the problems faced by Indigenous peoples in areas such as human rights, health and education.
12	International Youth Day (UN)	Youth Day focuses on listening to and engaging with young people. This year's focus is 'Safe spaces for youth'.
18–26	Seniors Week (Qld)	Seniors Week celebrates the contributions of older people and aims to improve community attitudes towards older people and ageing, facilitate community participation and activity by older people and enhance community connections and inter-generational relationships.
31	Wear It Purple Day	Wear it Purple has a simple message: you have the right to be proud of who you are. Sexuality or gender identity does not change this. Wear It Purple is a youth-led organisation that works to support and empower rainbow (sexuality and gender diverse) young people.
31	Equal Pay Day	Equal Pay Day falls on a different day each year, and marks the additional time from the end of the previous financial year that women must work to earn the same as men in Australia. In 2018 it fell on 31 August.
September	Back to top
1 to 30 September	Brisbane Pride Festival	The Festival is a month-long celebration of all things LGBTIQA+, including a rally, march, and Fair Day on 23 September 2017.
2–8	National Child Protection Week	This is a time to prevent child abuse and neglect and to ensure the safety and well-being of every Australian child.
3–9	Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week	This week aims to educate the community about spinal cord injury, and promote accessibility in public venues and social inclusion.
8	International Literacy Day (UN)	The United Nations regards literacy as a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning.
10–16	Disability Action Week	This week aims to encourage positive attitudes towards people with a disability, and promote improved access to the wider community.
13	Anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN General Assembly	The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, security and well-being of Indigenous peoples worldwide and enshrines Indigenous peoples' right to be different.
28	Right to Information Day	Right to Information Day designed to raise awareness of every individual's right of access to government-held information, and the public sector’s responsibility to release information, if it is in the public interest to do so.
October	Back to top
1	International Day of Older Persons (UN)	This day provides an opportunity to recognise the contribution that older people make to their communities, and raise awareness about issues affecting older people.
6–14	Qld Mental Health Week / World Mental Health Day is October 10	Mental Health Week aims to raise awareness of mental health and well-being in the wider community. Education is a critical part of reducing stigma and supporting people with mental illness and their carers.World mental Health Day is celebrated on 10 October.
11	International Day of the Girl Child	This day is an initiative of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Its aim is to raise awareness of girls' rights, and to advocate for the adoption and implementation of laws and policies that prohibit and prevent child, early, and forced marriage.
15	International White Cane Day	International White Cane Day is held around the world each year to draw attention to the mobility needs of people who are blind or vision impaired.
14–20	Anti-Poverty Week / International Day for Eradication of Poverty - October 17	International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is a United Nations day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries.
19–28 4th Wednesday in October	National Children's Week	Children's Week celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood, and is a time for children to demonstrate their talents, skills, and abilities, as well as focusing attention of the wider community on children, their needs, and achievements.
24	United Nations Day	This day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the United Nations Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, the United Nations officially came into being.
26	Intersex Awareness Day	Intersex Awareness Day is an international day of grass-roots action to end shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children. Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that don't meet medical and social norms for female and male bodies, and suffer stigma and discrimination as a result.
November	Back to top
10 Nov to 10 Dec	Human Rights Month - Fair and Inclusive Workplaces	Human Rights Month is a campaign by the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland to raise awareness of discrimination and human rights and culminates on Human Rights Day (10 December).
16	International Day for Tolerance (UN)	On 16 November 1995, UNESCO's Member States adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance . The Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognises the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others
20	Transgender Day of Remembrance	20 November is set aside as Transgender Day of Remembrance for those people who have died because of transgender hatred or prejudice. The day raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender, or gender variant people, and the persistence of prejudice against the transgender community. It is a day to mourn and honour the lives lost in anti-transgender violence, and raise the visibility of transgender and gender diverse members of the community.
20	Universal Children's Day (Anniversary of CROC)	This event marks the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) . The Convention sets minimum entitlements and freedoms for children that should be respected by governments and communities. It is a day to promote the welfare of children as well as 'fraternity and understanding between children.'
25	International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women (White Ribbon Day UN)	Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated 'We must fundamentally challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence [against women and girls] to continue.
December	Back to top
1	World Aids Day (UN)	World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.
3	International Day of People with Disability (UN)	International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) is a United Nations sanctioned day that aims to promote an understanding of people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being.
10	International Human Rights Day (UN)	Human Rights Day commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
18	International Migrants Day (UN)	International Migrants Day commemorates the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the International Convention on Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families.

Human rights calendar - Anti Discrimination Commission Queensland

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Human rights calendar