Regional Seminar "Rainbow Rights: Advancing LGBTI Equality in the Baltic States and Finland"

  • Date: 23 Nov 2017 Time: 09:30 Location: "Corner" hotel T. Ševčenkos g. 16 Vilnius

RR_RGB_RR_purple_1_CMYKOn 23rd November, 2017 the Ministry of Justice Finland, the associations Lithuanian Gay League and Seta – LGBTI Rights in Finland and the Embassy of Finland in Lithuania will invite actors working on LGBTI equality and promotion of non-discrimination to the regional seminar under the framework of the project “Rainbow Rights – Promoting LGBTI Equality in Europe” in Vilnius.

The aim of the seminar is to share information about the recent developments around LGBTI rights and policies in four Member states.

Background

To ensure effective implementation of the List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality the European Commission encourages more cooperation between EU countries, civil society, businesses and other stakeholders and has called on them to join in the fight against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Member States are therefore encouraged to design comprehensive action plans, containing both mainstreaming and targeted actions, to prevent and counter discrimination and intolerance against LGBTI people and advance LGBTI equality. Member States are the main drivers for change, as they hold key competences in areas where LGBTI people experience inequality, discrimination and victimisation: education, employment, health, free movement, asylum and hate speech/crime.

2 panels and 3 workshops of a regional seminar will look at the situation in four Member States: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland with an aim to develop more knowledge on the issues relevant for LGBTI people and make the challenges that LGBTI people face visible and understandable for the public. A special focus on trans issues will be highlighted during a second panel discussion.

The programme of the event will follow soon.

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The Project Rainbow Rights is supported by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme of the European Union.