[ad_1]
Of: TT
Published:
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT
The Black lives Matters movement and discussions in society about equal value for all in its wake have raised the need to close the gaps in discrimination legislation, according to Gender Equality Minister Åsa Lindhagen (MP).
Police and other law enforcement agencies should be covered to a greater extent by the Discrimination Act, the government thinks. The researchers are now tasked with providing suggestions on how to proceed.
– It feels extremely important now that we have a discussion in society with, for example, the Black lives Matters movement, says Minister for Gender Equality Åsa Lindhagen (MP)
Since 2018, research has been carried out to come up with proposals on how discrimination legislation can be made more effective and efficient. The investigation should have been presented in the next few days, but will now continue for another year when the government decides on a complementary directive.
– We see that there are loopholes in the law and we want proposals to be made on how to close these loopholes, says Åsa Lindhagen.
Police and customs
The supplementary directive that the government has submitted to the investigation consists of three parts. The first concerns giving people greater protection in contact, for example, with law enforcement agencies, as protection against discrimination in public activities in Sweden today is different.
– Regarding the decisions and measures taken in the social services, it is regulated by the legislation on discrimination, but not for, for example, the customs or the police. We want stronger protection there, says Lindhagen.
The investigation is also tasked with reviewing the need for additional measures to protect workers who are discriminated against by people who are not employed in the workplace.
– We hear stories from the home care service, for example, that there are users who should have help from the home care service but do not want a person of foreign origin, for example. It can be very difficult for a person to be discriminated against just because of who you are.
Further strengthen
When it comes to discrimination in the workplace, there is legislation on the work environment that can provide protection of various kinds, but according to Åsa Lindhagen, the protection needs to be further strengthened.
– We want to make it clear that discrimination is very serious both for the exposed individual and for society and that we need greater protection.
The third part of the supplementary directive refers to the decision as to whether measures are necessary to strengthen protection against discrimination in cases where there is no identifiable person who has been discriminated against. It could be, for example, that it is a group of disadvantaged people.
Take it seriously
Åsa Lindhagen says it is important that experiences of being treated differently, for example in contacts with authorities, are taken seriously.
– It feels extremely important now, when we have a discussion in society with, for example, the lives of blacks matter, where discrimination can be an expression of racism. We have discussions in society about equal value for all and it is extremely important that politicians now defend this and strengthen protection against discrimination and step forward all the time on those issues.
Published:
