Human Rights in Business Webinar Social Enterprise Leadership

This webinar explores the role of human rights in business, the current legal and policy landscape in Australia, and the opportunity for social enterprises to lead change. Marking World Human Rights Day, the session brings together practitioners and advocates to share lived experience, legal insight and practical approaches to embedding dignity, fairness and inclusion into business practice.

Speakers highlight that while Australia has committed to international human rights standards, our national laws and protections remain fragmented and complex to navigate. The discussion introduces the campaign for a national Human Rights Act to provide clearer guidance, strengthen accountability and support more consistent, rights-based decision-making across government and business. Importantly, human rights are framed not only as compliance, but as risk mitigation, workforce retention and a foundation for stronger, more resilient organisations.

Through lived experience, the webinar demonstrates how human rights can be respected, without significant cost to social enterprises, by creating safe, inclusive workplaces, supporting vulnerable communities, and addressing systemic barriers. It also challenges performative approaches such as standalone diversity and inclusion policies, calling instead for deeper, structural change grounded in equity, anti-racism and intersectionality. The session closes with a clear call to action: treat people with dignity, build awareness of human rights, and actively contribute to shaping a more just and inclusive economy.

Show notes and quotes

Hedayat Osyan: “I believe human rights matter in business because they protect people, promote fairness and ensure responsible conduct. In social enterprise, they matter even more because respecting human rights is central to our mission. If a social enterprise prioritises people and planet over profit, then respecting human rights must sit at the core of how we operate.”

“I believe every individual can make a contribution if you give them equal opportunity and treat them with respect and dignity.”

“Respecting human rights does not have to cost any money for a social enterprise. In fact, for most social enterprises, it builds on practices they already do.”

Kali Goldstone:

“Human rights gives us a roadmap to create the kind of society we all want to live in. One built on equality, freedom, respect, dignity, kindness and looking out for each other. When human rights are respected, our lives are better, and our communities are stronger, healthier, safer and more prosperous.”

“The more you create an environment that respects people's fundamental rights, that gives them dignity, a sense of worth, and purpose, the more they will want to work for you. They will turn up with good intentions, and they will give their best. It becomes a cycle of nurturing as opposed to a cycle of punishment or deterrence.”

“The problem I see is that D&I programs today focus on optics or business metrics, and they risk becoming very performative, rather than tackling systemic disadvantage and creating real equality. True inclusion really means going beyond policy. It means embedding principles like anti-racism, self-determination and intersectionality into how you hire, promote and design your workplace culture. When you root D&I in a human rights framework, you're not just ticking a box. You're actually building a workplace that's fair, lawful, genuinely inclusive, and that approach reduces risk, strengthens trust, and makes sure every worker, regardless of their background, has a right to a safe, respectful and equitable workplace where they can thrive.”

Daney Faddoul: “The more people who are calling for it, the faster we'll achieve a Human Rights Act and make it a reality so that everyone across our community can benefit.”

“Human rights standards have to be lived, respected and advocated for by people in the community.”

“It's worth noting that surveying that's been done by Amnesty over the last three years shows three out of four Australians support a Human Rights Act. So human rights standards are something that people across our community support, and by being able to express those values in how you operate and how you deal with customers, other organisations, government and the like, has tangible benefits, not just risk mitigation.”

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For those who are keen to dive deeper and do differently, here are some links to learnings and resources mentioned by the speakers and/or related to the open learning topic:

Human Rights is Our Business

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