CHARACTERIZATION AND STRATEGIES TO FIGHT DISCRIMINATION
A democratic society is the one that makes possible the aspirations of dignity and future of all its members, especially the most vulnerable. Thus, both fight against social exclusion and fight against discrimination, are the ways to make human rights a reality for everyone.
Discrimination, that is, the violation of equal rights and real equality of opportunity for individuals and groups, motivated by ethnic or national origin, sex, age, disability, social or economic status, the health conditions, religion, opinions, sexual identity or orientation, pregnancy, language, marital status or any other reason, is a reality that affects 13%1 of the European population, who asserts to have been discriminated against or harassed by at least one of the reasons described.
Since the end of World War II, universal statements in favour of equality and recognition of collective and specific population groups’rights have not been lacking. But although Europe has developed a policy in this regard, wemight wonder, first, how EU member countries has been transposing these rules and with what degree of satisfaction has been made, and secondly, how affects the processes of both inclusion and exclusion of the most vulnerable in our society.
To develop our work in the field of discrimination, it’s necessary to have very clear concepts and know the possible situations. So, firstly, we should have clear in our mindconcepts such as what is meant by discrimination and social exclusion; who can participate in a discriminatory situation; what roles develop each one; group of people who may be discriminated or discriminatory reasons among others. Is poverty a cause and / or consequences of discrimination? How to fight both?
- THE DISCRIMINATION: CONCEPT AND REASONS
First of all, and as we work in an organization whose main objective is to fight against poverty and social exclusion, we need to make a distinction between the concepts of "social exclusion" and "social discrimination" because, although closely related and often being mutual cause and effect, are different concepts. Thus:
- Discrimination affects people’s rights, the exclusion to living conditions.
- The fight against discrimination is focused from the guarantee of rights and their effective exercise, fighting social exclusion trough social policies.
- It is true that discrimination and exclusion are closely related but are different:
- A person may be discriminated and not necessarily be excluded (eg: a well-dressed black son of a diplomat and not let him get into a nightclub).
- A person can be excluded and not discriminated: He is poor, has no employment, but has not been discriminated (ie: is not treated so unequal and unfavorable, in access to public and private goods and services: has been received as others in stores, has treated same as others when requesting medical services ... no distinctions have been made with him for being poor).
- In many cases, discrimination and exclusion fed back each other’s, an excluded person is more likely to be discriminated (there are more possibilities to access into a club for rich black man that for a poor black man) and a discriminated person is more likely to be excluded (if teachers have exasperated negatively a black fellowat school, there are more possibilities that he will fail in his studies andso on that he won’t be able to find a job in the future, to progress socially and will remain excluded).
- Consequently fighting against exclusion gives us a chance to correct discrimination and vice versa.
- Discrimination is essentially the unequal and unfavorable treatment, violation of equal rights and real equality of opportunity for individuals and groups, motivated by ethnic or national origin, sex, age, disability, social or economic status, health status, religion, opinions, sexual identity or orientation, pregnancy, language, marital status or any other reason.
- TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION
There are different ways of discrimination: there can be direct and personal discrimination (do not let go, for example, a Roma person in a bar) or also through legislation or practices which are apparently neutral, but have negative effects on people or groups, producing a particular disadvantage compared to others. This is called indirect discrimination (eg: When a test is presented to students in college, asking to realize it in written form (instead of oral) is an apparently neutral practice, unless one of the students is maimed of both hands ... in which case it would have negative effects, ie: discriminatory for disabled people).
Other forms of discrimination are harassment, discrimination by association and discrimination by mistake. Through harassment, an intimidating, hostile, degrading, segregating context is created, so that the person chooses to move away from the environment in which it is embedded (eg: when trying to throw some annoying neighbors out of the block of flats where they live, because they are of another ethnicity, making life hard for them).
Discrimination by association occurs when a person is discriminatedjust because of his relationship with another discriminated person (on which a discriminatory situation has already going on); and mistakediscrimination, which is based on an incorrect assessment of the characteristics of the person discriminated.
We can also find the so-called multiple discrimination,it occurs when there are several causes interacting or likely to produce discrimination: an older woman of Roma origin, is likely to be discriminated for gender reasons, ethnicity, origin and age.
In this regard, it should be stressed that gender, primarily, but also age, is a matter that sharpens and complicates discrimination, since in all the social groups being a woman exacerbated situations that already represent a violation of fundamental rights.
- AREAS OF DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination can occur in many places, various are related to the right of access to certain goods and services that people are excluded by discrimination. Thus, in all areas of daily life of people, both in political, economic, cultural or social,it can produce situations of discrimination. And, talking about daily life, we refer specifically to venues such as public spaces, public and private services, human relations, social participation or private space.
In this sense, it is necessary to consider particular areas such as employment and work (self-employed, employees, and public employment), including access, conditions, promotion and training; education, health, and providing social and welfare services and housing.
And these areas must have special consideration, particularly for two reasons:
- It is very easy that a person or group are excluded from the access to these goods and services because of being discriminated (an older woman can be excluded from work being discriminated for gender and age reasons, an immigrant family may be excluded from access to housing being discriminated for origin and ethnicity).
- But at the same time, the possibility to access to these goods and services can minimize discrimination and its effects (eg: an educated black person will be less discriminated than without education, a Roma personwith a stable employment, will be less discriminated than if unemployed).
Thus, we clearly see howdiscrimination and exclusion feed each other’s in the same way that equal opportunities and inclusion do.
- SUBJECTS OF DISCRIMINATION
The active subjects (groups, individuals or corporations) are those who individuals, groups or organizations, while passive subjects are victims of this type of situation.
But you should also note the existence of omission subjects, people who can do something to avoid or prevent such a situation and they do not, and the compensation subjects, who somehow minimized or remedied the harm that discrimination provokes.
We must be aware that everyone, at some point in our lives and/or for one of the reasons mentioned above, we can discriminate or be discriminated against.
- OTHER FACTORS
Besides the above, consider a set of influencing factors that may undermine or enhance a specific discriminatory situation (eg, purchasing power and social status, the size of the city in which he/she lives, the visibility and the evidence of the aims on which discrimination occurs) and reproductive factors, which tend to standardization, invisibility and reproduction of discriminatory situations (the social normalization, the lack of information and awareness, perception of inefficiency of public authorities or stereotypes).
Any discrimination leads to harm their victims. Discrimination sustained over time can lead to marginalization and social exclusion of those who suffer it, in addition to entail different consequences at a psychosocial level.
- DISCRIMINATION SCENARIOS: SOME SPOTS
In the analysis of the reality of discrimination in different countries of the European Union, each one with varying intensity, you cannot lose sight of a fundamental element of empowerment as well as justification and legitimation of discrimination: the financial crisis, its social impacts and consistent and increasing competition for public and private resources, which serves as a way to justify a range of discriminatory situations.
If we compare possible scenarios of discrimination and the different reasons why they are generated, this leads to a host of discriminatory situations, although its intensity, its frequency and injury is variable. Thus, for example, in a study by EAPN in Spain, have found that:
- The predominant reasons in access to housing are age and ethnic or cultural background, while in the public space and living neighborhood, people who suffer most discrimination are those belonging to the Roma community and to a lesser extent, those from Africa, the Maghreb and the Andean region.
- The degree of consciousness of people who suffer discrimination on this type of situation is very variable. Thus, awareness of victims tends to be higher the more it affects your personal finances or their ability to access or mobility. While in other scenarios as produced discriminatory situations or relationships in public space or leisure activities, awareness of victims is generally lower, considered as "stuff happens", or removing importance because " it's nothing serious. "
- Another worrying trend is that of self-blame of victims and the exoneration of the perpetrators of discrimination, since in certain cases, for example people from minority ethnic or cultural background, may find suffering a situation discrimination justifiable.
- FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION: HOW, WHERE, FROM WHERE?
There are different ways, areas and levels where you can see the fight against discrimination and different actors should take part in the fight, starting with the people themselves discriminated against. Thus, the struggle may be at the legislation level, in education, in social awareness and the awareness and reporting, as well as from European, national, regional and local levels, in the case of EAPN networks.
As discrimination is multidimensional and not always obvious or visible, to make a good working plan against discrimination is necessary initially to determine which are the characteristics that it takes in a territory, and in the case of EAPN on how it affects people who are in situation of exclusion.
Some studies have shown that on the one hand, the most vulnerable population, such as people suffering exclusion, sometimes unaware of their rights and, secondly, people forget that some of their practices are discriminatory.
El resultado es que, en muchas ocasiones, la discriminación se naturaliza, se considera algo normal y no como lo que es: actos y actitudes que perjudican a cada individuo y al conjunto social.
The result is that in many cases, discrimination is assumed, it is considered normal and not as it is: actions and attitudes that are detrimental to the individual and the social whole.
- FIGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIETY
The current crisis in Europe threatens the possibility of building a more just and equal society. This crisis, welfare cuts and the threat to public services in many member states, cannot be an excuse but, by contrast, is a situation that demands a response even stronger for its eradication.
To combat discrimination requires, first of all, rigorous analysis of reality to "expose" the characteristics of this problem in a particular territory. In addition, active and collaborative participation of various public and private initiatives against discrimination is essential for the development and implementation of effective strategies.
It is also important that intervention is not only reactive, not wait for reality to deteriorate and that the problem is more serious, but on the opposite, it is essential to take the initiative to prevent future situations that may lead to social exclusion.
The issue of discrimination has its roots in a value system on which to we have to act, mainly through prevention and awareness initiatives. At last, discrimination affects not only the victims who suffer it, but also impoverished, unequalize, remove cohesion and undermines the living quality and life to the whole society.
- EAPN WORKING PROPOSAL
How should we fight for equal opportunities and against discrimination from EAPN? Are we going to fight for people who are already in a situation of social exclusion and not discriminated against by this fact? or will we fight for that discrimination does not generate more social exclusion? The work of EAPN should go hand by hand with that of ENAR (European Network Against Racism).
It is important to analyze the risk factors and that people have protection in exclusion when faced with a potential discrimination and the importance of these risk factors and protection when individuals and vulnerable groups do not fall into the exclusion. Equal access to general services as education, health and housing are key elements for success in anti-discrimination strategies.
Therefore, EAPN aims to work on content that has to do with the discrimination faced by people and affecting their citizenship status and to obtain equal opportunities to any other person in a context of right to citizenship. In sum, equal treatment and non discrimination in access to goods and services, through the exercise of fundamental rights that every person should enjoy.
For more information, see document "Methodological guide for the working group on discrimination"