On 23 May, the ICC programme held a webinar on "Identifying and preventing systemic discrimination: the importance of data and evidence". The event gathered around 50 participants from various countries to discuss practices and challenges faced when using and generating data and evidence to identify and prevent systemic discrimination. Knowledge sharing among peers was organised in two sessions: one focussing on data strategies in Belgium and Ireland with presentations respectively by the Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities (UNIA) and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC); another one on good data practices in Montreal (Canada), Kirklees (UK), Barcelona (Spain), and Neuchâtel (Switzerland).

• Among the main conclusions, participants highlighted that:
• Data gathering and analysis should be shaped by governing principles that are human rights based.
• Data is not an end but a means to an end: it is crucial to start the process by defining why, how and to what end data will be collected and used.
• A starting step can be to map what data is already available and which stakeholders should be involved in the coproduction process.
• People are not data: the aim should be to put data at the service of people, rather than simply gather data on people.
• Equality data are a public good and are broadly defined as information that is useful to describe and analyse the state of equality.

Based on these preliminary findings and on the feedback questionnaire circulated to participants, we are now preparing a training manual (and online tool) on systemic discrimination and data collection.

The ICC team thanks all those who have already shared their good practices in this area and call on more volunteers to share their experience by filling in a short online form (available in English or French):

 Click here to fill in the form

We thank you very much in advance for your contributions!