Illustration by Maqué Studio
By considering socio-economic background as a potential ground for discrimination, Equality Bodies work to rectify injustices and promote equality, particularly for those in disadvantaged circumstances.
The Defender of Rights received a complaint concerning Bellamy, a child whose family resides in a social housing complex, run by social services. The town hall had repeatedly refused to enrol her in the local nursery school and school canteen despite the parents’ request to do so and the various supporting documents provided. The family took legal action, but the interim relief judge of the Administrative Court initially ruled against their claim.
The Defender of Rights submitted their recommendations to the interim relief judge, stating that the refusal to register the child constituted an infringement to their right of education and discrimination based on their place of residence and the socio-economic vulnerability of their family.
As a result, the Mayor registered both the child and her little brother in the nursery and the school canteen. The list of supporting documents for enrolment was also modified, to ensure inclusivity and equal access to education for all.
Are you interested in knowing more about how Equinet and Equality Bodies address discrimination based on socio-economic background?
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Equinet published a Factsheet on Equality Bodies’ role in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan which summarises the outcomes of rich presentations and conversions held during an online roundtable that brought together Equality Bodies, civil society organisations, and European institutions to discuss the role of National Equality Bodies in the implementation of the 2021 Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
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Equinet published a report called Expanding the List of Protected Grounds within Anti-Discrimination Law in the EU, which attempts to answer whether and how the expansion of the list of protected grounds in anti-discrimination law enhances the effectiveness of the anti-discrimination legal framework and its implementation; one of the grounds on which this report focused on is socio-economic disadvantage, underlining the strong and two-way relationship between poverty and socio-economic discrimination, whereby discrimination often leads to poverty, but poverty can also lead to discrimination.
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The Platform on Social and Economic Rights, a joint initiative by the Council of Europe, FRA, ENNHRI, and Equinet, aims to support National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and National Equality Bodies (NEBs). It focuses on strengthening the implementation of international instruments relating to social and economic rights while addressing fundamental rights challenges in Europe.