The Persistence of Discrimination, Harassment and Inequality for Women. The Work of Equality Bodies informing a new European Commission Strategy for Gender Equality was published by Equinet, the European Network of Equality Bodies in 2015.
The European Commission’s Strategy for Equality between Women and Men 2010-2015 is under review with a view to developing the future of gender equality. Equinet has prepared this Perspective to gather the learning from the work of equality bodies across Europe so as to inform the preparation and content of the new strategy.
The Perspective is based on a workshop of the Equinet Gender Equality Working Group and a survey of its member equality bodies that was responded to by 26 equality bodies. The work of the equality bodies is gathered and analysed under five different headings:
- Mainstreaming led initiatives: focus on issues of equal pay, work-life balance and policy-making.
- Litigation led initiatives: focus on issues of pregnancy-related discrimination, harassment on the ground of gender and sexual harassment, and goods and services. Litigation led work included a focus on under-reporting of discrimination.
- Communication led initiatives: focus on addressing gender stereotypes.
- Activities in relation to men: focus on litigation, the role of men in gender equality, breaking stereotypes, and equality in the sphere of caring work.
- Activities in relation to trans people: focus on litigation, research and legal recognition of trans people.