January 28, 2021
On 11 November 2020, the European Commission adopted the first-ever LGBTIQ Strategy. Following the List of Actions for Advancing LGBTI Equality (2015-19), the Strategy is a long-awaited document which holds a stronger political value. This […]
January 13, 2021
On 27 March 2019 a municipality in Poland (Świdnik) adopted a declaration to be free from a so-called “LGBT ideology”. The document, mostly chaotic and to […]
November 26, 2020
The long-awaited ruling, referring to the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights, states that trying to establish a […]
October 1, 2020
In the aftermath of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic we need to look at how decisions were made, we need to draw lessons, and to ensure that in future crises, rights are equally respected regardless of age.
Read AGE Platform Europe's take on how older people were affected during Covid and what we can do to tackle ageism in the future.
September 21, 2020
The Equinet Equality Law Working Group has been working during the last year towards contributing to developing the European Court of Human Rights' (ECtHR) jurisprudence, including increased analysis of article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and issues that are at the cutting edge of equality law and theory. This blog post presents the results of this work.
September 16, 2020
The living facilities, as well as the sheltered workshops that were co-funded by the EU, perpetuate the segregation and social exclusion of persons with disabilities in Austria. This is in breach not only of the above mentioned Council Directive 2000/78/EC, but also the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Social Pillar and, last but not least, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which was ratified by both the European Union and Austria. Read this blog post to find out more.
September 14, 2020
This blog post outlines the pre-existing limitations in access to sexual and reproductive health and rights across Europe as well as the further violations we are now witnessing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. By looking at how equality bodies are responding, this article shows the unique role that NEBs play in ensuring access to SRHR.
July 28, 2020
Equality Bodies accord high priority in their work to seeking improvement in the situation and experience of Roma and Travellers. They share a particular concern at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Roma and Travellers and how inequality and disadvantage have left these communities ill-equipped to protect themselves from the pandemic.
July 27, 2020
Initially hailed as the 'great equalizer,' the COVID-19 pandemic has, in reality, exposed the depth of institutional, structural, and systemic discrimination and inequality in our societies. The question for Europe now is not if discrimination and exclusion exist but rather how intersectionality serves as a tool to create a fairer, socially just, and more inclusive Europe for everyone.
September 10, 2020
In order to identify how equality bodies could best contribute to developing European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) jurisprudence, the Equinet Equality Law Working Group monitored Article 14 cases to identify those that are directly relevant to equality and non-discrimination and the work of equality bodies. Read their findings in our Compendium
June 12, 2020
Society has changed enormously in recent months. The world is under the spell of a pandemic. New manners and customs are appearing, such as no physical contact with others, new ways of greeting each other, social distancing and wearing face masks or alternatives is becoming the norm in public spaces. When it comes to this issue, the WHO is clear: wearing a medical mask can limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including COVID-19. From a human rights perspective, the latter trend is particularly interesting, especially if we take into account the fact that in some European countries wearing full-face veils in public spaces is prohibited by law and can lead to sanctions (i.e. fines, prison, administrative fines).
September 27, 2019
The Advocate of the Principle of Equality for the Republic of Slovenia published its annual report for the year 2018. After its second fully operational year as an independent national equality body, the report looks back at the process of establishing the body in accordance with the Slovenian Protection Against Discrimination Act (PADA) and the activities undertaken to address discrimination in the country.
July 25, 2019
Equinet's Factsheet and Compendium of Promising Practices highlight the necessity to end ethnic profiling by law enforcement in Europe and the essential role of equality bodies in combatting this ineffective practice and promoting fair policing.
July 9, 2019
Equality
and non-discrimination are deeply embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
May 23, 2019
Our annual report for 2018 allows us to look back at our work during the past year and showcase the broad spectrum of support to national […]
May 2, 2019
Equality data is defined as any piece of information that is useful for the purposes of describing and analysing the state of equality. Across the EU, […]
May 2, 2019
The Defender of Rights Annual Report for 2018 was presented by Jacques Toubon on 11 March. It meticulously analyses the work of the French equality body in its […]
March 19, 2019
Equinet Brochure 2020 What are equality bodies? Why do we need them? What challenges do they face? This brochure aims to raise awareness about the role of […]