Sweden, Equality Ombudsman (2023), Stories of vulnerability: an analysis of discrimination related to multiple grounds of discrimination, 16 March 2023.

Country

Sweden

Title

Sweden, Equality Ombudsman (2023), Stories of vulnerability: an analysis of discrimination related to multiple grounds of discrimination, 16 March 2023.

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Year

2023

Publication type

Report - official data on incidents

Geographical coverage

National

Area/location of interest

Not applicable - national level

Type of Institution

Public authority

Institution

Sweden, Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen)

Thematic focus

Discrimination

Groups

General population

Key findings

The report describes how and in which situations discrimination associated with more than one of the grounds of discrimination can occur and how affected individuals describe their perceptions and experiences of discrimination. The analysis of complaints focuses on five combinations of grounds of discrimination, one being complaints concerning discrimination associated with ethnicity and religion or other belief. The report shows that many complaints in working life involve discrimination against people who have or are presumed to have an ethnicity other than Swedish and discrimination against people who are or are presumed to be Muslims. In the field of education, students with a different ethnic background than Swedish and Muslim students are particularly exposed to discrimination.

Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of complaints to the Equality Ombudsman from 2017-2021 related to multiple grounds of discrimination. The results presented are based partly on an analysis of complaints concerning discrimination, partly on interviews with people who have personal experience of being subjected to discrimination associated with more than one of the grounds of discrimination. The report describes discrimination from the perspective of the people who have experienced discrimination. Most of the incidents described have not been subject to legal proceedings and may therefore not always constitute discrimination under the Discrimination Act.

Sample details and representativeness

Complaints to the Equality Ombudsman related to multiple grounds of discrimination during 2017-2021. In-depth interviews with 14 individuals selected with the help of civil society organisations. As a result, many of the interviewees are active in organisations working for the rights of affected groups, and some have appeared publicly in various contexts. The individuals participating in this interview study therefore may not be representative of those who experience discrimination in Sweden.

DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.