The General Data Protection Regulation, which updates and modernises the principles from the 1995 Data Protection Directive to guarantee privacy rights, will enter into force on 25 May 2018. This will also affect collection of equality data. Equality is one of the values on which the EU is founded, but a 2015 Eurobarometer report showed that one in five people in the EU had experienced harassment in the past 12 months, based on their (presumed) ethnic background, skin colour, religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation or disability. There is a need for a policy mix to tackle this discrimination. One way to address this is by using data to tell engaging stories that illustrate the problem.

How can companies collect equality data? The fundamental principles to keep in mind are the freedom to self-identify, informed consent, anonymity, respect for the legal framework and community consultation. To see how equality data collection works in practice and its benefits for a company, Ana Sanches, a HR manager from EDP presented their company example.

One of the main goals of the Platform meetings is to share challenges the Diversity Charters and their signatories face and try to find solutions by sharing good practices. During the Lisbon meeting, the Diversity Charters discussed intergenerational solidarity, with a practical example by Tabea Wagener from the Global Diversity Office of Daimler AG and getting women back into the labour market.

In our digitalised world, we are surrounded with non-stop information flow. So how to communicate about benefits of diversity and inclusion in a society that seems to be more and more divided and exclusive? The discussion focused on three elements of communication – relations, social media and press.

Interested in learning more on any of the above discussions? Contact your national Diversity Charter still today!

Background information on the Diversity Charters:

Diversity Charters in Europe are national networks of companies and organisations that recognise and value diversity as a business strategy and have, by putting people first, regardless of their gender, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation or disability, an advantage in a competitive market. The Diversity Charters’ aim as a community is to promote diversity in the workplace, promote equality and employee well-being.

The platform currently consists of 20 Diversity Charters from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

For more information on the EU Platform of Diversity Charters contact JUST-EU-DIVERSITY-CHARTERS@ec.europa.eu.