A public hearing, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), took place on 19 May in Brussels. The aim of this hearing was to look at equal treatment, equality bodies and other possible means of redress for Roma.

Developed by the Higher Council for professional equality between Women and Men (CSEP) in France, this toolkit highlights three tools to combat sexism in employment.

Anti-migrant political discourses and exclusionary migration policies are having a disproportionate impact on racialised migrants, according to a new report by the European Network Against Racism, covering 26 EU countries. Migrants are increasingly the targets of racist violence and speech; and face discriminatory policies and attitudes hindering their access to the labour market.

Despite some legal and social advances in the past two decades, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people continue to face widespread discrimination and violence in many countries. This leads to exclusion and adversely affects both the lives of LGBTI people as well as on the communities in which they live. This article explains the importance of IDAHOT and the highlights of this day as well as the contribution of equality bodies to the advancement of equality and non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

On 16 May 2017 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published two country reports and four conclusions on the implementation of previous recommendations. In their publications, ECRI pays special attention to the need for independent equality bodies with sufficient resources and powers.

EU citizens are increasingly concerned that – for the first time in decades – today’s young people will have fewer opportunities for upward social mobility than their parents’ generation. These concerns have reduced the sense of trust in the fabric of European societies; in response, policymakers are giving higher priority to measures aimed at combating social inequality. This research report, written by Eurofound – the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions – is the first to examine patterns of social mobility across all 28 Member States.

On 11 May 2017, the Council of the European Union adopted two decisions on the signing of the Council of Europe Convention (Istanbul Convention) on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Equinet warmly welcomes this decision.

The European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination has published a new thematic report titled Pay transparency in the EU. The report is authored by Albertine Veldman, researcher and lecturer at Utrecht University in European labour law, equality law and social law.

On Wednesday 26 April, the European Commission launched its proposal for the European Pillar of Social Rights. The Commission has also put forward a number of legislative and non-legislative initiatives related to work-life balance, the information of workers, access to social protection and working time.

As nationalist and xenophobic parties make gains in a growing number of countries, challenging elites and exploiting public anxieties over migration, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has invited Council of Europe member states to take a serious look in the mirror and take the lead in building trusted institutions and inclusive societies able to withstand populist assaults.