Equality mainstreaming
Dignity and equality are the foundation of modern European societies.
We acknowledge the need to ensure equality and combat any kind of discrimination, as well as the important role the Organisation plays in this regard. We therefore commit to strengthening work towards inclusive societies without marginalisation, exclusion, racism and intolerance.
Report Towards a new democratic pact for Europe
Equality, diversity and respect are the bedrock of democratic societies. When participation is unequal and discrimination persists, democracy weakens, giving way to polarisation, exclusion and authoritarianism.
The right to equality and non-discrimination is a cornerstone of the Universal Declaration of Rights (Article 1) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 14 and Article 1 of its Protocol No. 12). While it is well established in international and national law, and measures have been implemented in many member states, a gap remains between principles and practice—between formal (de jure) equality and actual (de facto) equality.
- Equality mainstreaming is the systematic incorporation of equality and anti-discrimination concerns into all stages of the policy process, including policy making, policyimplementation and policy review. In public policy, it ensures that all significant public policies make an appropriate contribution to the objectives of equality and non-discrimination.
- Redesigning and implementing equality mainstreaming requires participatory approaches, as it should respond to the needs and perspectives of specific groups, following the moto Nothing about us without us. Mainstreaming the equality perspective should ensure that representatives from the groups exposed to discrimination are actively involved in policy development and decision-making.
- Equality mainstreaming can be part of a wider human rights assessment and serves the purpose of building more inclusive societies. Different mainstreaming efforts, notably gender mainstreaming and equality mainstreaming, are complementary and mutually reinforce each other from a human rights perspective.
- CDADI established a working group in order to further develop the concept
and methodology of equality mainstreaming. Results of this work will be published
here when available
- The Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on equality of Roma and Traveller women and girls and Explanatory Memorandum, which includes guidelines to promote equality across multiple thematic areas such as registration in the civil registry, identity documents and statelessness, poverty and access to social protection, adoption and placement of children in alternative care, housing and accommodation, early childhood and school education, healthcare and sexual and reproductive rights, employment and economic situation, protection against violence, capacity building and empowerment, and participation in political and public life,
- The Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)10 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on multilevel policies and governance for intercultural integration, namely its §§ 17 to 19 that mention “Ensuring equality” as the first fundamental principle of the concept of intercultural integration.
- The Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025) which ensures a coherent approach to the Council of Europe’s work for the inclusion of Roma and Travellers, namely through intergovernmental co-operation, dialogue with Roma and Traveller civil society, and co-operation projects with member States.
- The Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)17 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls which covers horizontal issues and specific measures covering migrant, refugee and asylum seeking women and girls.
- Guide and checklist for implementing equality mainstreaming.