The public profile of a national equality body may prove to be an important asset or an equally important pitfall for achieving the organization’s goals. Hence, when it comes to communication, the shaping of this profile is one of the main tasks for the communicators of the equality body. Doing it properly and effectively might be one of the greatest challenges that the communicators face.

On 27th August 2015, Equinet Chair Evelyn Collins, Executive Director Anne Gaspard and Project Officer Jessica Machacova met the EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová.

More than 65 associations and NGOs from Germany and Europe have co-signed a joint statement, initiated by our member equality body the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (FADA) and Equinet, calling on the German government to stop blocking the Equal Treatment Directive of the European Union (the so-called Horizontal Directive).

On 16-17 June 2015, Equinet hosted the conference ’Charting the Charter: Equality bodies and fundamental rights in the EU’ to facilitate exchange between equality bodies and national and European stakeholders on the role and importance of the Charter in safeguarding fundamental rights, ensuring equality and combating discrimination and it will have a particular focus on the practical use and benefits of the Charter for equality bodies.

On 1-2 July, Equinet and the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner of Estonia hosted the Equinet Seminar ‘Work-Life Balance and Pregnancy and Parenthood related Discrimination’ in Tallinn.

On 26th of June 2015, Equinet supported the initiative of the German Equality Body and Equinet Member Federal Anti-discrimination Agency (FADA) to raise public awareness on the so-called Horizontal Directive and to call on the German Federal Government to take actions towards unblocking the Directive’s proposal in the EU Council.

The European Commission’s Strategy for Equality between Women and Men 2010-2015 is under review with a view to developing the future of gender equality. Equinet has prepared this Perspective "The Persistence of Discrimination, Harassment and Inequality for Women" to gather the learning from the work of equality bodies across Europe so as to inform the preparation and content of the new strategy.

Die Welt, one of the main German newspapers, has published an op-ed article by Christine Lüders, Director of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency of Germany and active Equinet member. Following increasing examples of discriminatory and homophobic acts across Europe, she highlights the lack of protection for LGBTI people, as well as people with disabilities, seniors and members of religious minorities, across EU Member States under current European laws.

The Spotlight on Equality Bodies highlights the work of Equinet members across Europe.