equality bodies

Bodies mandated to promote, analyse, monitor and support equal treatment in the national context.

Additional notes and information

General

These bodies may form part of agencies with responsibilities at the national level for defending human rights or safeguarding individual rights. Equality bodies have the competence to (a) provide independent assistance to victims of discrimination in pursuing their complaints of discrimination, (b) conduct independent surveys concerning discrimination and publish independent reports, and (c) make recommendations on any issue relating to such discrimination. They may have a relatively specific mandate related to discrimination on the grounds of sex and gender, or a broader mandate to counteract discrimination across a range of grounds, including age, disability, sex and gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sources

(1) European Commission (2014). EU Gender Equality Law: Update 2013. European Network of Legal Experts in the Field of Gender Equality; (2) European Institute for Gender Equality – EIGE (2014). Effectiveness of Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Gender Equality: Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the EU Member States.