The aim of this policy is to prevent discrimination and harassment whilst at training/competing/grading at events organised by Kimekai Karate. Instructors, officials, and athletes associated with Kimekai Karate, are responsible for understanding, implementing and following this policy.

Where an athlete feels discriminated against or harassed, for what ever reason, they must immediately bring this to the attention of the senior instructor. Should the individual (athlete/parent/instructor) not be satisfied with the way the matter is managed at this level or the outcome, the matter must be raised immediately with the Chief Instructor.

It is also against the discrimination law to victimise a person who is involved in making a complaint of discrimination or harassment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Direct discrimination means treating or proposing to treat someone less favourably than someone else because of a particular characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination means imposing or intending to impose an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice that is the same for everyone, but which has an unequal or disproportionate effect on the individual or group of people.

The characteristics covered by discrimination law across Australia include:

• Age;
• Disability;
• Family/carer responsibilities;
• Gender identity/transgender status;
• Homosexuality and sexual orientation;
• Irrelevant medical record;
• Irrelevant criminal record;
• Favouritism;
• Political belief/activity;
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• Race;
• Religious belief/activity;
• Sex or gender;
• Social origin; and
• Education.

Some States and Territories include additional characteristics such as physical features or association with a person with one or more of the characteristics listed above.

EXAMPLES OF DISCRIMINATION
Age: The club refuses to allow an older person to teach simply because of age.

Breastfeeding: A mother breastfeeding her baby at the club is asked to leave.

Disability: A junior athlete is overlooked because of mild epilepsy.

Family responsibilities: The club decides not to promote an employee because he has a child with a disability even though the employee is the best person for the job.

Favouritism: where an athlete is allowed to do additional classes when this has not offered to all athletes.

Homosexuality: An athlete is ostracised from the club after telling fellow athletes that she is a lesbian/he is gay.

Marital Status: An athlete is deliberately excluded from activities and social functions because of being single.

Pregnancy: A woman is dropped from her squad when becoming pregnant.

Sex: Specialist coaching is only offered to male players in a mixed team.

Harassment is any type of behaviour that the other person does not want and that is offensive, abusive, bullying, belittling or threatening. The behaviour is unwelcome and of a type that a reasonable person would recognise as being unwelcome and likely to cause the recipient to feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. Harassment may be a single incident or repeated; it may be explicit or implicit, verbal or non-verbal.

Intended or unintended harassment is irrelevant as the focus is on the impact of the behaviour.

Unlawful harassment includes the above but is either sexual or targets a person because of their race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation or other characteristic (see characteristic list under discrimination).

The basic rule is if someone else finds it harassing then it could be considered harassment.

Some exceptions to State and Federal anti-discrimination laws apply. Examples include:

• holding a competitive sporting activity for females only who are 12 years of age or over where strength, stamina or physique is relevant; and
• not selecting a participant if the person’s disability means he or she is not reasonably capable of performing the actions reasonably required for that sporting activity.

Requesting, assisting, instructing, inducing or encouraging another person to engage in discrimination or harassment may also be against the law.

It is also against discrimination law to victimise a person who is involved in making a complaint of discrimination or harassment. Example: a player is ostracised by her male coach for complaining about his sexist behaviour to another club official or for supporting another player who has made such a complaint.

Public acts of racial hatred which are reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate are also prohibited. This applies to spectators, participants or any other person who engages in such an act in public. A player is ostracised by her coach for complaining about his racist behaviour to another club official.