Promising Practice

Forum for equality data

Forum for likestillingsdata
The Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality has set up a forum on equality data bringing together key data generators, such as Statistics Norway, and data users such as selected Ministries, agencies and the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. The forum aims to achieve a more comprehensive and systematic approach to the collection of data on equality and discrimination.
Country
Norway
Type
Institutional and structural guidelines
Foster inter-institutional cooperation
Build institutional capacity
Operational guidelines
Ensure comprehensiveness
Mainstream equality data
Category
Age
Disability
Gender identity or expression
Racial or ethnic origin
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
All grounds / Cross-cutting
Includes multiple / intersectional discrimination

 


In this page:


Why was the practice needed?

The Action plan to promote equality and prevent ethnic discrimination 2009 – 2012 called for the Ministry of Children and Equality to set up a forum for equality data composed of key data users (selected ministries and their agencies, in addition to the Equality and Anti-Discrimination-Ombudsman) and data generators (including Statistics Norway).

The objective of this Forum is to achieve a more comprehensive and systematic approach to the collection of data that may shed light on equality and discrimination on different grounds and across different areas of life. The forum further serves: to raise awareness about the need for robust and comprehensive equality data; to coordinate measures in the field of equality; to exchange knowledge and expertise; and to establish connections with sectors in which equality should be mainstreamed as one of their objectives, such as education, health, labour and other welfare sectors.

How was it implemented?

The Forum meets regularly once every semester and is also convened on an ad hoc basis for specific purposes, such as for consultations on the Directorate´s new statistical web pages on equality before its launch.

Members of the forum include: the Directorate for Health, the Directorate for Education, the Directorate for Integration and Diversity, the Labour and Welfare Administration, Statistics Norway, and the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman.

Over time, there has been a shift to prioritise work with the ministries’ agencies, rather than the ministries themselves, and to a more ’hands–on’ approach of the working group. The forum has, for example, been an arena for discussing the development of statistical web pages, linking data and questionnaire design.

The forum considers data issues with respect to all discrimination grounds prohibited by national legislation, namely, gender, ethnicity, skin colour, religion, belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and life stance. Other relevant issues may be, for instance, national origin, descent, language and part-time/temporary work.

Manifestations of multiple and intersectional discrimination may also be discussed.

Outputs

  • A report in 2013 regarding weaknesses and shortcomings in the available national data. This was an important foundation for the further development of equality data. The report emphasised the need for greater effort on systematising data collection activities, and contributed to the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs becoming more involved in equality data.

Key success factors

  • Raising awareness and improving the collection of equality data through inter-institutional cooperation is a process that takes time. The ambitions should therefore not be too high when starting at the outset and exchanges should preferably be held in an informal and practice-oriented setting.
  • It was important to ensure that stakeholders participating in the forum received enough feedback from their contributions and appreciated the advantages of investing in enhanced cooperation.
  • It was also critical to carefully select institutions and actors which were most directly involved in policy implementation and data collection.

Technical information

  • Data sources covered: Census; Administrative data; Household or individual surveys; Complaints data.
  • Areas of life covered: Employment; Education; Health; Social Protection; Housing and living conditions; Access to good and services; Hate crime.
  • Target audience: Public administrations, national statistical office, and the national equality body
  • Duration: 2011 – present (meetings on biannual or ad hoc basis)
  • Geographical scope: National
  • Leading institution: Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs
  • Other organisations involved/consulted: As of 2018, the Directorate for Health, the Directorate for Education, the Directorate of Integration and Diversity, the Labour and Welfare Administration, Statistics Norway, and the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman
  • Financial & human resources: No information provided

Contacts

Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, Norway (Bufdir) / Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet

Email: postmottak (at) bufdir (dot) no