01/03/2018
FSG - Dpto. de Igualdad y Lucha contra la Discriminación
The guide explains the historical origin of the term and its application to human rights policies, and then focuses on how this type of discrimination is experienced in the case of Roma women. In addtion, it provides tools to analyze and detect this type of discrimination, and gives examples of jurisprudence.
Since the African-American feminist jurist Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the concept of intersectionality in the late 1990s, this approach has been gaining importance in the field of anti-discrimination, especially in the context of ethnic and sexual minorities. Various human rights organizations (CEDAW, Council of Europe, European Commission, EQUINET) have been using this concept for a better approach to discrimination.
Among the situations of discrimination that we usually detect towards Roma women, many of the cases happen in a particular situation that place them in a special situation of vulnerability. That affects differently Roma men and non-Roma women.
This type of discrimination is known as "intersectional discrimination". A specific type of discrimination, in which different types of discrimination concur ("intersection of gender and ethnicity, for example); It is not about "adding up" the discriminations, but understanding how the intersection of these discriminations is something specific that needs a particular approach that recognizes these various factors.
In order to better understand this approach, and to know how to detect and combat cases of intersectional discrimination, the FSG has developed a "Guide on intersectional discrimination", with the help of the Roma Women's Group of the FSG, and coordinated by the Department of Equality and Fight Against Discrimination.
The Guide explains the historical origin of the term and its application to Human Rights policies, and then focuses on how this type of discrimination is experienced in the case of Roma women. In addition, it provides tools to analyze and detect this type of case, and examples of case law (from the case of the widow's pension of La Nena (more info), to the sterilization of Roma women in Europe, through oversight of some Roma women in supermarkets and stores).
The Guide also provides an extensive bibliography of texts on intersectional discrimination, including contributions from Roma authors.
The Guide has been financed by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
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