Equality

Equality, non-discrimination and racism

Equality is a core value of the EU. You have the right to fair treatment regardless of who you are, what you believe, or how you chose to live.

We carry out research and share expertise to help fight discrimination, inequality and racism in all its forms.

Highlights

Products
5
May
2015
Each year thousands of children take part in criminal and civil judicial proceedings, affected by parental divorce
or as victims or witnesses to crime. Such proceedings can be stressful for anyone. The European Union Agency
for Fundamental Rights (FRA) investigated whether children’s rights are respected in these proceedings.
Children need to be heard and be involved in all issues that concern them. This includes the justice system.
FRA in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Academic Network of European Disability Experts (ANED), developed 28 human rights indicators to assess the political participation of persons with disabilities in the EU.
30
March
2015
This paper discusses the difficulties faced by people with disabilities who become victims of hate crime, and the different legal frameworks in place to protect such victims in the EU’s Member States. It ends by listing a number of suggestions for improving the situation at both the legislative and policy levels.
12
January
2015
The rights of victims of crime to access justice and to be protected against repeat victimisation may remain illusory in practice if the victim fails to receive professional advice and support. This research by the European Union Agency
for Fundamental Rights (FRA) examines support service provision for such victims across the 28 EU Member States, in line with the 2012 EU Victims’ Directive. It focuses not on abstract fundamental rights standards but on the final
practical results.
9
December
2014
Trans persons, or those whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex assigned them at birth, face frequent discrimination, harassment and violence across the European Union (EU) today. This reality triggers fears that persuade many to hide or disguise their true selves. This report examines issues of equal treatment and discrimination on two grounds, namely sexual orientation and gender identity. It analyses data on the experiences of 6,579 trans respondents from the EU Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) survey, the largest body of empirical evidence of its kind to date.
6
November
2014
Children and young people are increasingly involved in research and decision making on different aspects of rights which relate to them. EU Member States have different rules, regulations and guidelines regarding the participation of children in research, in particular concerning ethics approval and informed consent.
This video was shown in the beginning of the high-level conference “Tackling sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination: next steps in EU and Member State policy making”.
29
October
2014
Primarily using data and information collected from five EU Member States, this paper briefly describes the phenomenon of forced marriage and selected legislative measures taken to address it. It lists promising practices
for the prevention of forced marriage and for supporting victims. The paper covers only one among many forms of violence against women analysed by FRA in its Violence against women: an EU-wide survey. Main results report (2014).
28
October
2014
In light of a lack of comparable data on the respect, protection and fulfilment of the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, FRA launched in 2012 its European Union (EU) online survey of LGBT persons’ experiences of discrimination, violence and harassment.
24
October
2014
Antisemitism can be expressed in the form of verbal and physical attacks, threats, harassment, property damage, graffiti or other forms of text, including hate speech on the internet.
29
September
2014
This document provides clear explanations for children of the key terms used in the child-friendly justice project. It explains what rights are and how these rights should be protected during legal proceedings.
9
July
2014
The EU and its Member States took a variety of important steps in 2013 to protect and promote fundamental rights by
assuming
new international commitments, revamping legislation and pursuing innovative policies on the ground. Yet, fundamental
rights violations seized the spotlight with distressing frequency: would‑be migrants drowning off the EU’s coast,
unprecedented mass surveillance, racist and extremist‑motivated murders, child poverty and Roma deprivation.
30
June
2014
This handbook aims to strengthen the protection of children, specifically addressing the particular needs of child victims of trafficking.
6
June
2014
This year’s FRA annual report looks at fundamental rights-related developments in asylum, immigration and integration; border control and visa policy; information society, respect for private life and data protection; the rights of the child and the protection of children; equality and non-discrimination; racism, xenophobia and related intolerance; access to justice and judicial cooperation; rights of crime victims; EU Member States and international obligations.
21
May
2014
The opportunity to be involved in political life, whether by standing for elected office, joining a political party, or following political news stories in the media, is at the heart of what it means to live in a democratic society. The report analyses data on the situation of political participation of persons with disabilities collected from across the 28 European Union (EU) Member States by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Commission-funded Academic Network of European Disability Experts (ANED).
5
March
2014
This factsheet presents some examples of survey findings, which are placed alongside general considerations as possible ‘ways forward’ for responding to violence against women.
5
March
2014
This FRA survey is the first of its kind on violence against women across the 28 Member States of the European Union (EU). It is based on interviews with 42,000 women across the EU, who were asked about their experiences of physical, sexual and psychological violence, including incidents of intimate partner violence (‘domestic violence’).
It was 75 years ago today that soldiers liberated the Auschwitz extermination camp. A poignant time to learn from the horrors of the past and build for a better future.
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) members reaffirmed their commitment to fighting Holocaust distortion, antisemitism, anti-Gypsyism and other forms of discrimination on 19 January.
On 14 and 15 January, FRA, together with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), facilitated a workshop for law enforcement officers and officials responsible for (hate) crime registration in Belgium.
On 19 December, FRA took part in a Brussels seminar on a working definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia.
This year FRA looks forward to a new decade for fundamental human rights across Europe, as the new European Parliament and Commission hit the ground running with a raft of new strategies promoting and protecting rights.
During the second meeting of the European Commission’s antisemitism working group, Member States exchanged best practices and shared experiences of their efforts to prevent, address and respond to antisemitism through education.
During the second meeting of the European Commission’s antisemitism working group, Member States exchanged best practices and shared experiences of their efforts to prevent, address and respond to antisemitism through education.
FRA joined the European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism, the European Jewish Congress and B'nai B'rith International for a mobilising event on 10 December in Brussels.
The German Federal Police held their autumn conference in Wiesbaden from 27 to 28 November.
Summaries of the findings from the biggest survey of discrimination and hate crime against Jews ever conducted worldwide are now available in Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Greek, Hebrew, Latvian, Maltese, Slovak, Slovenian and Portuguese.
European Day of Persons with Disabilities is a time to remind ourselves of the urgent need to live up to our commitments to achieve equality for all. This is especially pressing since the European Disability Strategy will end in 2020.
Today marks 30 years of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child – a landmark human rights treaty. It changed how adults view and treat children. But despite considerable progress in Europe, basic challenges, such as child poverty, remain.
Last year FRA published its report on the experiences of almost 6,000 people of African descent in 12 EU Member States.
Without adequate data, government and civil society cannot formulate effective responses to antisemitism that continues to haunt Europe. FRA’s latest annual overview of antisemitism data 2008-2018 identifies large gaps in recording antisemitic incidents in a way that allows to collect adequate official data across the EU.
The Irish police force, the Garda Síochána, invited FRA to give a presentation on the experiences of discrimination, harassment and violence of Muslims and people of African descent across the EU.
The Austrian Chamber of Labour organised a workshop to discuss the results of a recent study on discrimination with experts from European institutions, trade unions, Equality bodies and civil society.
On 26 September, FRA took part in a panel discussion on memory, stereotypes and preventing antisemitism following an invitation from the Office of the Antismitism Coordinator of North Rhine Westphalia.
FRA took part in the high-level conference in Paris from 26 to 27 September to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).
Migrant women face multiple challenges fully integrating into European society. This is often due to inequalities resulting from the combined effect of their gender, migrant status and ethnic background, as FRA’s latest report testifies. It underlines the need for targeted, gender-sensitive measures to compensate for such inequalities.
Many young Jewish Europeans face antisemitic harassment in Europe, but are also very resilient as they clearly express their Jewish identity, finds a report published today by the European Commission and FRA. Rising hate speech and intolerance towards them shows the urgent need for continued concerted efforts to adequately address society’s longstanding and persistent hostility towards Jews.
The agency will take part in meetings of the European Commission’s Inter-Service Group on 22 January in Brussels on the integration of third-country nationals.
The European Parliament’s Working Group on Antisemitism has invited the Agency to present the findings of its second survey on discrimination and hate crimes against Jews.
The Agency’s second antisemitism survey results will be officially launched at midday on 10 December in Brussels at a joint FRA, European Commission and Austrian Presidency event.
On 17 December in Geneva, the FRA Director will present findings of FRA’s second survey on discrimination and hate crimes against Jews in the EU as part of a panel discussion on combating antisemitism in Europe and beyond.
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, one of the so-called Special Procedures established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, will visit FRA on 10 December.
FRA’s Director will launch the Agency's new database on anti-Muslim hatred during a high-level meeting about tackling discrimination against Muslims in the EU, organised by the European Commission in Brussels.
The Agency will take part in the meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in Ferrara on 28 November.
The Agency will speak at a conference London on 26 November on gendered racism and antisemitism.
The Agency will launch its report on being black in the EU at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels on 28 November.
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On 16 and 17 October the High Level group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance will meet in Vienna.
A delegation from the Swedish Parliament’s EU Committee secretariat visits the Agency on 3 September.
The Agency will join a round table discussion on combating antisemitism on 12 September in The Hague.
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On 12 and 13 July 2018, the FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty will participate in the informal Justice and Home Affairs Council in Innsbruck at the invitation of the Austrian presidency.
The AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights together with Dr Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, have convened an expert consultation on monitoring and combatting antisemitism.
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As a result of the Agency’s outreach to funders and foundations, the Ariadne network invited the Agency to participate in a workshop on countering racial and religious discrimination.
The FRA Director will join discussions on freedom of religion, antisemitism and Islamophobia during a joint meeting of the Council’s Working Parties on Human Rights (COHOM) and on Fundamental Rights, Citizens Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP).
On 14 June, the Agency will attend the Council’s Working Party on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Brussels.
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On 13 and 14 June the High Level group on combatting racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance will meet in Brussels.
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The Agency will contribute to the seventh meeting of the Education and Training 2020 Working Group on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education.