EQUINET
EUROPEAN NETWORK OF
EQUALITY BODIES
Supporting effective and independent
equality bodies in Europe
Anne Gaspard, Equinet Executive Director
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet Network
• 2003-2007: cooperation project by equality bodies
• 2007: creation of Equinet as a European Network of
Specialised Equality Bodies
• 2008: setting up of Brussels-based Equinet Secretariat
• EC Funding (PROGRESS and Rights, Equality and
Citizenship programmes) and Members contributions.
EQUINET
THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF EQUALITY BODIES
A DEMOCRATIC
GOVERNANCE
4
STRATEGIES
41 MEMBERS
(+ 1 Candidate)
ONE MISSION
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet Mission
Equinet promotes equality in Europe through supporting
and enabling the work of national equality bodies.
It supports equality bodies to be independent and
effective as valuable catalysts for more equal societies
Equinet - the
European Network
of Equality Bodies
Equinet members are 41 public
institutions established by law to
promote equality and combat
discrimination (= equality bodies).
Equinet promotes equality in
Europe through supporting the
work of national equality bodies.
Equinet supports equality bodies
to be independent and effective
as catalysts for more equal
societies.
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet members: Ombud for Equal Treatment, Austria | Interfederal Centre for
Equal Opportunities, Belgium | Institute for Equality between Women and Men,
Belgium | Commission for Protection against Discrimination, Bulgaria | Office of
the Ombudsman, Croatia | Gender Equality Ombudsperson, Croatia | Public
Defender of Rights – Ombudsman, Czech Republic | Office of the Ombudsman,
Cyprus | Board of Equal Treatment, Denmark | Danish Institute for Human Rights,
Denmark | Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner, Estonia |
Ombudsman for Equality, Finland | Ombudsman for Minorities, Finland |
Commission for Protection against Discrimination, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM) | Defender of Rights, France | Federal Anti-Discrimination
Agency, Germany | Office of the Ombudsman, Greece | Equal Treatment
Authority, Hungary | Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Hungary
| Equality Authority, Ireland | National Office Against Racial Discrimination, Italy |
National Equality Councillor, Italy | Office of the Ombudsman, Latvia | Office of
the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, Lithuania | Centre for Equal Treatment,
Luxembourg | National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, Malta |
National Commission for Persons with Disability, Malta | Netherlands Institute for
Human Rights, Netherlands | Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, Norway |
Human Rights Defender, Poland | Commission for Equality in Labour and
Employment, Portugal | High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural
Dialogue, Portugal | Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, Portugal |
National Council for Combating Discrimination, Romania | Commissioner for the
Protection of Equality, Serbia | National Centre for Human Rights, Slovakia |
Advocate for the Principle of Equality, Slovenia | Council for the Promotion of
Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination on the Grounds of Racial or Ethnic Origin,
Spain | Discrimination Ombudsman, Sweden | Equality and Human Rights
Commission, UK – Great Britain | Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, UK –
Northern Ireland
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet Members
• Network of specialised equality bodies (41 members
from 31 European countries)
• Specialised equality bodies on the basis of EU Equal
Treatment Directives (2000/43/EC; 2004/113/EC;
2006/54/EC, 2010/41/EU), in line with UN Paris
Principles and ECRI Policy Recommendation on
Specialised Bodies
• Diversity among national equality bodies in terms of
size, mandate, grounds, structure and experience
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Functions of Equality Bodies
• Functions laid down in EU directives:
– Independent assistance to victims of discrimination
– Independent surveys and reports concerning
discrimination
– Recommendations on discrimination issues
– Exchange of information with European bodies
• Wider functions taken on by Equality Bodies:
awareness raising, promotion of good practices
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet Members
Employment
40
35
Number of equality bodies with mandate
34
33
30
30
31
29
29
25
23
20
15
10
5
0
Gender
Race / Ethnic
origin
Age
Disability
Grounds of discrimination
Sexual
orientation
Religion / Belief Other grounds
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Beyond employment
35
33
Number of equality bodies with mandate
30
31
25
24
22
20
23
23
Sexual
orientation
Religion / Belief
24
15
10
5
0
Gender
Race / Ethnic
origin
Age
Disability
Grounds of discrimination
Other grounds
Executive Board (2013-2015)
Evelyn COLLINS
Chair
Chief Executive
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, UK
(Northern Ireland)
Kosana BEKER
Assistant to the Commissioner for
Protection of Equality
Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Serbia
Anna BŁASZCZAK
Deputy Director of the Constitutional and
International Law Department
Human Rights Defender, Poland
Michiel BONTE
Head of Service, Discrimination
Department
Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to
Racism, Belgium
István HALLER
Member of the Steering Board
National Council for Combating Discrimination,
Romania
Sandra RIBEIRO
President
Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment,
Portugal
Mari-Liis SEPPER
Gender Equality and Equal Treatment
Commissioner
Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner,
Estonia
Tena ŠIMONOVIĆ
EINWALTER
Deputy Ombudswoman
Office of the Ombudswoman, Croatia
Néphèli YATROPOULOS
Adviser to the Defender on European and
International Affairs
Defender of Rights, France
Therese SPITERI
Treasurer
Manager
National Commission for the Promotion of Equality,
Malta
THE NETWORK – KEY STRATEGIES & OBJECTIVES
Building
Capacity and
Peer Support of
NEBs
Contributing to
the European
Equality
Agenda
Knowledge and
Communication
Hub on Equal
Treatment
Consolidating
the Network
and position of
NEBs
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Equinet Activities 2014 - Highlights
Working goups
• Gender Equality
• Equality law in practice
• Communication
strategies and practices
• Strategy development
• Policy formation
Trainings
• on positive actions
• on harassment and
sexual harassment
• on LGBTI persons
Seminars
• High-level legal
seminar on equality
law
• High-level seminar on
gender equality
Reports
Ad hoc
initiative on
violence
against women
•Harassment and sexual
harassment
•Gender equality in
goods and services
•Equal pay
•Work life balance
•Positive actions
•Good practice guide on
making
recommendations to
policy-makers
•Indicators and strategic
planning
•Institutional
Architecture
•Disability strategy
•Duty bearers
THE NETWORK – THEMATIC WORKING GROUPS
WG Equality law in
practice
WG Communication
Strategies and Practices
WG Strategy
Development
• Moderator: Jayne Hardwick, Equality and Human Rights
Commission (UK Great-Britain)
• Moderator: Thekla Demetriadou, Office of the Commissioner for
Administration and Human Rights (Cyprus)
• Moderator: Sandra Konstatzky, Ombud for Equal Treatment
(Austria)
WG Policy Formation
• Moderator: Tena Šimonovic Einwalter, Deputy Ombudswoman
(Croatia)
WG Gender Equality
• Moderator: Sandra Ribeiro, Commission for Equality in Labour
and Employment - CITE (Portugal)
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
EQUINET WORK PLAN 2015
A. BUILDING CAPACITY AND PEER SUPPORT OF EQUALITY BODIES
Work-life balance and pregnancy and parenthood related discrimination
SEMINARS
A question of faith, Religion and belief in the work of equality bodies
Charting the Charter: Equality bodies and fundamental rights in the
European Union
TRAINING
Applying for and using EU funds
CLUSTER
Strategic litigation
PROJECT
Evaluation Lab
WORKING
GROUPS
Gender Equality -Report on new strategic priorities on gender equality
Communications
Equality Law - tentative potential third party intervention to ECHR
B. CONTRIBUTING TO THE EUROPEAN EQUALITY AGENDA
CONFERENCES
WORKING
GROUP
A new strategy for gender equality: lessons from the work of equality
bodies
Equality bodies and the new Freedom of Movement Directive, Challenge
or Opportunity?
Policy Formation
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
EQUINET WORK PLAN 2015
C. SERVING AS A KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNICATION HUB ON
EQUAL TREATMENT
ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH
COMMUNICATIONS
European institutions and stakeholders
Sanctions regime in discrimination cases and its effects
1 website (with Directory of Equality Bodies + members’ forum)
2 social media channels (Facebook & Twitter)
Newsbook and Members’ Bulletin (monthly)
Spotlight on Equality Bodies (quarterly)
D. CONSOLIDATING THE NETWORK AND THE POSITION OF ITS
MEMBERS
CLUSTER
Standards for Equality Bodies
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Current challenges – need for standards
• To ensure independence of equality bodies
• Legal structure
• Accountability
• Appointments
• To ensure effectiveness of equality bodies
•
•
•
•
•
Human and financial resources
Functions and powers
Strategic approach
Accessibility
Stakeholder engagement
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Key priorities and areas of work
• Low awareness of rights & Under-reporting of
discrimination
• Multiple discrimination and intersectionality
• Links between equality and human rights
• Comprehensive legislation framework
• Equality mainstreaming
• Standards for independence and effectiveness of
equality bodies
Co-funded by the PROGRESS
Programme of the European Union
Thank you for your attention! Questions?
www.equineteurope.org
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EQUINET SECRETARIAT
138 Rue Royale / Koningsstraat
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 212 3181
Anne.Gaspard@equineteurope.org