As highlighted in a number of European Commission’s initiatives (the Gender Equality Strategy, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, the EU Roma Strategic Framework and the Antiracism Action Plan), collecting reliable and comparable equality data is vital. Equality Bodies are best positioned for the task, but there is no practical guidance on how to implement a consistent and effective approach to improving equality data collection. For this reason, and with a focus on discrimination complaints, the Equinet’s Working Group on Research and Data Collection has developed the “Minimal Guidelines on Improving Complaints Data Collection by Equality Bodies”.
In 2021, Equinet published a Report on “Collection and use of complaints data by Equality Bodies” which revealed that there is a minimal set of information gathered in relation to every discrimination complaint by most Equality Bodies, regardless of differences among Equality Bodies in terms of their size, mandate, structure, and competences. However, in order to ensure comparability of discrimination complaints across different Equality Bodies, data needs to be collected through a standardized and consistent approach amongst Equality Bodies.
These guidelines propose specific, minimal, and easy-to-implement measures which Equality Bodies could introduce to their existing complaints data collection practices in order to ensure that the complaints data they collect could be comparable to that of other Equality Bodies across Europe. Improved comparability will facilitate effective monitoring of the state of equality in Europe and contribute to the future monitoring of the European Commission proposals for Directives on Standards for Equality Bodies which will rely on complaints data as key source of data on Equality Bodies’ own activities.
The Guidelines are divided into two parts. The first section explains why Heads of Equality Bodies or senior staff should adopt the guidelines. The second section addresses the staff of Equality Bodies who register, assess or process information related to complaints.
As highlighted in the Guidelines, complaints data is an important source of equality data. However, given its limitations, for example, the lack of representativity because of the underreporting of rights-holders, additional sources need to be considered for a more accurate representation of discrimination in society.