Birth certification in Australia and the need for reform
Birth certification in Australia and the need for reform Share
In Australia, the birth certificate is of fundamental importance as the document that unlocks all the rights and privileges of citizenship. While the national rate of birth registration and certification is very strong, this is not the case for a number of minority and often marginalised communities, writes Nesha Balasubramanian.
Chief among these is Australia’s Indigenous community who, in Queensland for example, see their births under-registered and under-certified at a rate of 15- 18 percent.
But what are the key barriers related to obtaining birth certification in Australia? And how can these barriers be removed?