Does everybody have Access to Justice?

No, unfortunately not. We’ve got the Employment Directive but if people don't know their rights, and if they don't know how to take action when necessary, the directive – and national legislation based on the directive – will only be words on paper.

The project Access to Justice wants to fill the gap between words and action, so that legislation will be put to use in practical cases when discrimination is a fact. The project’s scope is discrimination on grounds of disability, age or sexual orientation.

Empowerment and capacity building

Access to Justice will work to empower and capacity build key actors (NGOs, trade unions, equality bodies and others). Organisations and individuals will be provided with effective tools to use when action is needed, so that individuals can get the support they need to take cases forward.

Effective training and education will be necessary to achieve the goal. Access to Justice will develop model training sessions, where key actors will be educated.

The objectives are to:
· inform about new rights and protections – awareness raising;
· enhance the capacity building of key actors to assist individuals in taking cases forward; and
· equip key actors to recognise and address differences between national legislation and the Employment Directive.

A multilingual training manual will be created. Information will also be available on our website.

Facts and contacts

Funding
Access to Justice is funded by the European Commission, under the Community Action Programme to Combat Discrimination. The project will be working until 1 December, 2006.

Geography and partners
The project is actively working in four countries: Great Britain, Romania and Sweden.

The project is a collaboration of organisations with a commitment to tackle discrimination on grounds of age, disability and/or sexual orientation. An international steering committee is responsible for the activities and results of the project. There are five partners in the steering committee.

Help the Aged
Help the Aged is a United Kingdom based charity that works to combat age discrimination and improve the quality of older people’s lives.

ACCEPT
A Romanian organisation working to benefit gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people

RFSL
The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

HomO
The Swedish Ombudsman Against Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation

LO
The Swedish Trade Union Confederation

RFSL is the project manager of the cooperation.

In addition to the transnational steering group, there are national networks in each of the four countries. In the networks, several organisations are contributing their expertise in different areas.

If you want to know more about the project and the partners, contact us at:

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The project is supported by the European Community Action Program to combat discrimination (2001-2006). This programme was established to support effective implementation of new EU anti-discrimination legislation. The six-year Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of appropriate and effective anti-discrimination legislation and policies, across the EU-25, EFTA end EU candidate countries.

The Action Programme has three main objectives. These are:
1. To improve the understanding of issues related to discrimination
2. To develop the capacity to tackle discrimination effectively
3. To promote the values underlying the fight against discrimination

For more information see:
http://europe.eu.int/comm/employment_social/ fundamental_rights/index_en.htm

Publication in several languages:
Equal at work
Easy Access Guide for Practitioners
Read more >>

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Accessing Justice
Final conference arranged in Brussels.
Read more >>

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Allas lika rätt...
Handbook for use in Sweden.
Read more >>
(Text in Swedish.)

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National Guides, Great Britain
Two guides for national use have been published in Great Britain.
Read more >>

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Minighid antidiscriminare
Handbook for use in Romania.
Read more >>
(Book in Romanian.)

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Project Manager:

The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

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Steering Group
Members:

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ACCEPT (Romania)

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Help the Aged (United Kingdom)

The Swedish Ombudsman Against Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation

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The Swedish Trade Union Confederation

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