Intersecting Grounds of Discrimination in Italy, INGRID
INGRiD’s priority is to fight (multiple) discrimination using an intersectional approach. Given the increasing discrimination in Europe, and in particular in Italy, and the fragmented, partial response offered by institutions at national and local level, INGRiD contributes to creating in Italy a national network of qualified anti-discrimination services, strengthens assistance to victims, and builds widespread knowledge and awareness of stakeholders as well as citizens across Europe. INGRiD activities include: research on hidden intersecting discrimination; local training activities designed to empower professionals (100) working in public and private services (law enforcement, public transport, teachers, civil servants, social services), turning them in ‘agents’ of anti-discrimination; national training and exchange of practices will increase the effectiveness of anti-discrimination offices (10) in preventing, recognising and countering discrimination and consolidate a national network; an awareness-raising campaign will sensitise citizens (5mln) and help them recognise what discrimination is and how to react. All mentioned activities and the online advocacy campaign will increase stakeholders’ (100) knowledge of EU, national, regional and local policies, as well as practices in the non-discrimination field. INGRiD’s impact is expected on victims of discrimination, who will be better supported by professionals reporting and countering discrimination with an intersectional approach; moreover, anti-discrimination practitioners will grow in terms of number and expertise; finally, the general public will have increased awareness about what discrimination is, what forms it takes and what policies and measures can be adopted by individuals to contrast it.
While focusing on the Italian case, INGRiD aims to yield results that are potentially applicable to other European jurisdictions where an “equality approach” is adopted (such as Germany, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Belgium), with specific regard to:
– the problems legal practitioners of European jurisdictions with an equality approach could face in implementing a grounds-based anti-discrimination approach borrowed from the common law tradition;
– the advantages of an intersectional approach to equality, which is not as much concerned with the notion of “grounds” as it is with a holistic assessment of the discriminatory impact over a claimant with a complex social identity, and which could, in the end, be more manageable for practitioners acquainted with an equality approach.
Specific Objectives:
1. To increase stakeholders’ knowledge of EU, national, regional and local policies and legislation, as well as practices in the non-discrimination field, including practices and policies covering multiple discrimination and intersectional approach [Indicator: no. stakeholders; Target: 100]
2. To empower professionals working in public and private services [law enforcement, public transport, education, social services] turning them in ‘agents’ of anti-discrimination and mediators for people of all backgrounds, religions, beliefs, ethnic origins, gender identities, etc. [Indicator: no. and typology of professionals; Target: 100]
3. Increase the effectiveness of non-discrimination services in preventing, recognising and countering discrimination and consolidate a national network [Indicator: quality of non-discrimination services; operational Italian network: 10 assistance offices]
4. Sensitise citizens and help them recognise what discrimination is and how to react [Indicator: no. citizens reached; no. media outlets; Target: 7 media outlets; catchment area: 5 mln]
Funding agency: European Commission, REC, Call: REC-AG-2019_ Call for proposals to promote the effective implementation of the principle of non-discrimination
Consortium/partners:
1 CENTRO PER LA COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE Italy
2 VENETO LAVORO IT
3 Alexander Langer Foundation IT
4 Arci Liguria IT
5 FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER Italy
6 REGIONE MARCHE IT
7 FONDAZIONE “FRANCO DEMARCHI” Italy
8 CEJI Belgium
Researchers: Valeria Fabretti, Deborah Iannotti, Ilaria Valenzi, Daniele Ferrari, Nausica Palazzo
Start date: 12/2020
End date: 12/2022
