Promising Practice

ISTAT-UNAR research project on ‘Labour discrimination against LGBT+ people and diversity policies in enterprises’

Discriminazioni lavorative nei confronti delle persone LGBT+ e diversity policies attuate presso le imprese
In March 2018, the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT) and the National Anti-Discrimination Office (UNAR) signed an agreement to carry out a comprehensive research on labour discrimination against LGBT+ people and entrepreneurial diversity management policies. The project involved LGBT+ stakeholders and associations in the research design, planned respondent outreach activities, and applied a multi-perspective and intersectional approach.
Land
Italy
Type
Map existing sources
Foster inter-institutional cooperation
Mainstream equality data
Enhance validity and reliability
Ensure representativeness
Collect information on self-identification
Align definitions/classifications and categorisations
Mainstream intersectional approach
Ground of discrimination
Age
Gender identity or expression
Racial or ethnic origin
Sex
Sexual orientation
Intersex / variation of sex characteristics
Includes multiple / intersectional discrimination

 


In this page:


Why was the practice needed?

The two institutions aimed to fill an information gap and to examine discrimination against LGBT+ people at work. The research also contributed to monitoring the implementation of the LGBT+ National Strategy during the periods 2013-2015 and 2022-2025. 

Mapping existing sources

The project mapped LGBT+ services in Italy through desk research and consultations with LGBT+ associations. These associations participated through the ‘Permanent consultation table for the promotion of the rights and protection of LGBT+ people’ and the project’s Working Group, which included representatives from some of associations of the Permanent consultation table.

A selected number of the mapped associations participated in a direct survey on trans and non-binary people, conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire.

The project also gathered information on existing data sources related to LGBT+ people, labour market conditions and discrimination. This was achieved through semi-structured interviews with key national stakeholders, including trade unions, employers, employment agencies, national observatories on discrimination, equality bodies, LGBT+ associations.

Project goals

  • Gathering information on the implementation of diversity management policies focusing on specific measures supporting LGBT+ people
  • Mapping sources and data on LGBT+ people in the labour market and on discrimination at work
  • Investigating information needs in specific areas and on themes, and the role of official statistics and the main national observatories on discrimination (UNAR, OSCAD, Rete Lenford).

Fostering inter-institutional cooperation

The project stems from a collaboration agreement between ISTAT and UNAR (National Anti-Discrimination Office) signed on 1 March 2018. It aims to address an information gap on discrimination against LGBT+ people, based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and diversity management policies.

The agreement and the project strengthened cooperation between the two institutions.

LGBT+ associations and other stakeholders were involved since the very beginning of the project.

Mainstreaming equality data

The project also included a survey on diversity management focusing on LGBT+ diversity. The survey was conducted in companies of the industry and service sectors with 50 or more employees. Furthermore, an ad hoc module was included in the national surveys Rilevazione mensile sull'occupazione, orari di lavoro, retribuzioni e costo del lavoro nelle grandi imprese (OCC1/Grandi Imprese) and Indagine trimestrale su posti vacanti e ore lavorate (VELA). This ad hoc module can be replicated in the future to monitor LGBT+ diversity in businesses.

Indicators on SOGIESC characteristics, intersectional discrimination, microaggression and specific questions on the condition of trans and non-binary people introduced in the surveys carried out within the Istat-Unar project can be included in other Istat surveys.

Enhancing validity and reliability

A participatory approach was applied, and stakeholders were involved in the questionnaire design. LGBT+ associations and LGBT+ people actively participated in the project regarding: the definition/redefinition of the main aspects to be investigated; questionnaire testing; data collection.

LGBT+ associations were involved in the promotion of all the surveys. As for the case of the survey carried out with the RDS snowball sampling, LGBT+ associations were in charge of identifying the first respondents. They also promoted the survey on their websites, social networks and newsletters.

The survey on labour discrimination against LGBT+ people (not in civil union) was also an experiment to test the effectiveness of the statistical technique of Web Respondent Driven Sampling (WebRDS) which, when meeting certain conditions, is configured as probabilistic sampling.

RDS is a non-standard probability sampling technique based on the social network of individuals. It consists of combining the snowball technique, in which the sample is constructed using the names provided by initial recruiters, with a mathematical model that formalises, under certain conditions, the recruitment process as a Markov chain, or as a probabilistic process. The data collected during the sampling process are used to make inferences about the structure of the social network and obtain from this an unbiased estimate on the population of interest.

In the implemented experimentation adopted, the technique did not work properly; therefore, the investigation was then opened to anyone of the target population.

How was it implemented?

The first macro-area of the project (A) aims at providing an insight into the condition of occupational discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity and, more generally, at investigating the situation of LGBT+ people in the labour market. Various surveys are planned in order to have a complete information framework:

  • a total survey of resident individuals (over 21,000) who, as of 1 January 2020, were or had been in Civil Union (same-sex couples). The main results were published in 2022 (Istat, 2022) and are available in English and in Italian
  • a survey on LGBT+ people who have never been in a Civil Union (data collection was completed in May 2022) through the experimentation of a snowball sampling technique (RDS - respondent driven sampling) and following with a convenience sampling;
  • a focus, with a non-probabilistic sample, on trans and non-binary persons.

These surveys are based on respondents’ self-identification as LGBT+ people and are carried out using a web self-completed questionnaire. Participation in the surveys is on a voluntary basis. 

The survey on individuals who are or have been in Civil Union was carried out in 2020-2021; the survey on LGBT+ individuals not in Civil Union was conducted on t between January and May 2022. The survey on trans and non-binary people will be carried out before the end of June 2023. 

The second macro-area of the project (B) aims at investigating the point of view of enterprises and of the main stakeholders, mostly operating on a national scale, about work discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as well as diversity management policies for LGBT+. For more details see the press release.

Lessons learned

Data on LGBT+ people and data that enable intersectional analysis on equality data about different spheres of social life are crucial for official statistics; LGBT+ surveys should be carried out regularly. Questions on SOGIESC characteristics should be included in surveys addressed to the whole population. All LGBT+ people should be involved, whether they are members of LGBT+ organisations or not. Experts and academics should be involved in the design of questions and indicators.

Not relying on European funds only.

Not taking definitions on gender identity, gender expression and other SOGIESC characteristics for granted, since these definitions evolve rapidly evolve.

The greatest challenge is privacy protection, particularly in the case of the survey carried out with the respondent driven sampling technique (RDS). The project has been mapped in the National Statistical Programme; it underwent and passed the “privacy guarantor” control. Systems of protection and anonymisation of the respondent have been applied in the data collection.

Istat developed a privacy impact plan on respondents. The plan analyses all kind of risks (IT, statistical and process) that could undermine respondent’s privacy. IT procedures have been applied to some data. Techniques to protect privacy and prevent respondent identification will be applied in the dissemination phase. In addition to that, at the beginning of each questionnaire, the respondent is required to express explicit consent to participate. Furthermore, an informative letter signed by the President of Istat explains the survey's cognitive purposes.

It would be important to:

  • establish a Commission with the aim of testing a range of different questions that measure SOGIESC characteristics by means of different techniques;
  • conduct focus groups and cognitive interviews with both transgender and cisgender participants, and specific LGBT+ groups.

Specific elements of the practice that may be transferable to other Member States or other equality data operators are:

  • An all-encompassing and intersectional approach, encouraging the active role of LGBT+ associations in data collection and in developing key constructs for the experience of LGBT+ different groups for measurement purposes.
  • Experimenting with different techniques (e.g., Respondent Driven Sampling)

Outputs

  • The mapping of LGBT+ services through desk research and the identification of stakeholders to be interviewed. 
  • The survey on enterprises’ diversity policies mapped diversity policies for LGBT+ inclusion already implemented and those planned for the future. 
  • The results of the survey addressed to people in Civil Union were published in 2022. The survey provides information about socio-demographic characteristics and family/relational status and an information framework on the perception and diffusion of forms of discrimination, harassments, aggressions and microaggressions that LGBT+ people may have suffered in Italy, in various contexts. In particular, the working experience is explored (e.g. job search, work activity, environment and relationships in the workplace, actions taken after events of discrimination). The collected data shed light on discrimination and exclusion based on different characteristics (e.g, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and class, using occupation and socio-economic status as the main proxies). Data also enable to monitor labour discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • The same set of information is provided by the survey addressed to LGBT+ people not in Civil Union.
  • Istat will publish a report analysing the results of the third survey on individuals addressed to trans and non-binary people. This mainly focuses on gender identity and gender expression issues.
  • Istat will publish a final e-book about the project.

Key success factors

  • Data sources covered: Diversity monitoring, Household or individual surveys, Qualitative research
  • Areas of life covered: Employment, Education, Housing and living conditions, Hate crime
  • Target audience:
    • Actors: LGBT+ associations, public administration/local government, equality bodies, trade unions and other stakeholders, private companies, employers, academia.
    • Target group: LGBT+ individuals, members and non-members of LGBT+ associations, people in civil unions, trans people, non-binary people, users of LGBT+ and Trans services, hard-to-reach and underrepresented LGBT+ groups.
  • Duration: The research project has ended in June 2023.  Inter-institutional cooperation and the involvement of associations will last for the entire duration of the project.
  • Geographical scope: National
  • Leading institution: The National Statistical Institute of Italy (ISTAT- Istituto Nazionale di Statistica) and the National Anti-Discrimination Office (UNAR- Ufficio Nazionale Antidiscriminazioni Razziali).
  • Other organisations involved/consulted: LGBT+ organisations of the «Permanent Consultation Table for the promotion of LGBT+ rights and the protection of LGBT+ persons» established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. A fruitful exchange with academics and experts on the subject was carried out. LGBT+ organisations (e.g. Arcigay, Parks, Identity Trans Movement - M.I.T.,) and experts and academics were consulted. 
  • Financial & human resources: Budget: Total budget of the research project is € 300.000 ; Source of the budget: EU Funds; Staff: for the time being 6

Contacts

See Also