The European Parliament adopted by 438 votes to 133, with 58 abstentions, a resolution on intersectional discrimination in the European Union: the socio-economic situation of women of African, Middle-Eastern, Latin-American and Asian descent.
Intersectional discrimination policymaking
Parliament stressed the importance of developing EU policies to combat and eliminate intersectional discrimination, including through EU anti-discrimination and gender equality legislation and policies. It called for the promotion of an EU framework on intersectional discrimination with cross-cutting objectives and measures.
Members called for the development of a mainstreaming mechanism for cooperation and coordination of EU and national equality policies, so that all types of discrimination, especially those that intersect, are taken into account when policies are reviewed and adopted. They encouraged Member States to adopt or strengthen criminal and civil legislation prohibiting intersectional and multiple discrimination and called for the development of EU guidelines, including the exchange of best practice, on the adoption of an intersectional approach to policy-making.
Parliament called on future EU presidencies and the currently blocking Member States to make equal treatment and the fight against discrimination in all its forms a key priority in order to break the deadlock and to adopt the anti-discrimination directive without delay. The Commission and the Member States are invited to take steps to collect reliable and comparable data on equality, including data disaggregated by sex, race and ethnic origin, sexual orientation and gender identity, in line with the EU's fundamental principles and standards on data protection, in order to identify the root causes, measure the extent of racism and discrimination and combat these phenomena.
In order to institutionalise an intersectional approach, the Commission should appoint coordinators aligned to all equality strategies by systematically applying a gender mainstreaming approach that puts in place policies for women in all their diversity.
The CJEU has interpreted sex discrimination under the principle of equal treatment to include transgender people who have undergone medical transition. However, the Court has not made any similar ruling regarding non-binary or intersex people. Members reiterated the need for the fight against discrimination in the EU to go beyond binary gender discrimination and recognise gender discrimination. They called on the Commission to present a legislative proposal that avoids any risk of legal uncertainty on this point.
Parliament stressed the need for a comprehensive directive on gender-based violence with an intersectional approach, encompassing all women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTIQ+ people on the basis of gender identity. It also stressed the importance of recognising how women of colour are at greater risk of violence and that intersecting forms of discrimination exacerbate the consequences of gender-based violence.
Power and representation
Parliament called for an increased presence of women in all their diversity in high-level and decision-making positions and for positive action measures, such as temporary quotas, incentive mechanisms and coaching, to ensure that women who suffer from intersectional discrimination take up positions in public institutions.
Members called on the Commission and Member States to support single mothers of African, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Asian descent to ensure their full participation in society. Stressing the importance of a diversity of views in the media and audiovisual sectors, they called on the Commission and the Member States to take all necessary measures to give more visibility to women from diasporas, to encourage their presence at all levels, in particular in decision-making positions.
The Commission is invited to allocate funding under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme to grassroots civil society organisations under the leadership of and in support of women facing intersectional discrimination. Member States should develop targeted policies and make best use of EU funds and the Recovery and Resilience Facility to support women affected by intersectional discrimination.
Ensuring equal access and equal rights
Parliament called, inter alia, for:
- launch a series of awareness-raising actions, including targeted campaigns and training, to combat discrimination, prevalent prejudice, gender segregation and diversity in the labour market;
- combat stereotypes and discrimination and racism and promote equality and non-discrimination in education at all levels, from the earliest age;
- ensure access to inclusive, quality education, training, skills development and decent work for marginalised girls and young women in all their diversity;
- create more inclusive education programmes for people with disabilities to tackle the education and subsequent employment gap;
- create conditions to effectively prevent labour exploitation, gender-based violence and other forms of abuse, and to facilitate the exercise of labour rights and the rights of potential victims of exploitation, the majority of whom are women, including among the most marginalised groups and those from different backgrounds;
- take into account the specific experience of women victims of intersectional discrimination in the design, implementation and evaluation of asylum, migration and integration policies;
- ensure universal and accessible health coverage, including specialised mental health care services and urgently remove barriers to health care for all, including for migrants in an irregular administrative situation and with special attention to women in all their diversity;
- ensure that all climate actions incorporate an intersectional perspective.
Member States are called upon to (i) adopt policies and programmes to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of marginalised groups of women; (ii) ensure accessible and transparent procedures for the legal recognition of gender based on self-determination; (iii) end the practices of coerced sterilisation, forced abortion and forced contraception.