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Directorate of Equality

The Directorate is a national bureau and is in charge of administering

• Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights irrespective of Gender no. 150/2020
• Act on the Administration of Matters Concerning Equality no. 151/2020
• Act on Equal Treatment irrespective of Race and Ethnic Origin, No. 85/2018 (Amended with Act amending the Act on Equal Treatment Irrespective of Race and Ethnic Origin, No. 85/2018 (adding more discrimination factors))
• Act on Equal Treatment in the Labor Market no. 86/2018

The Directorate of Equality is a special institution under the administration of the Prime Minister. It handles administration of all matters concerning equality covered by this Act on the Administration of Matters Concerning Equality no. 151/2020.

The tasks handled by the Directorate of Equality:

1. Monitoring the implementation of the acts;
2. Handling educational and information activities in the field of equality;
3. Giving advice and assistance in the field of equality;
4. Forwarding comments and proposals to the Minister and other authorities, on actions to be taken to promote equality, e.g. as regards specific measures in the field of equality;
5. Encouraging active participation in equality-related activities, including increased participation in gender equality activities by men;
6. Monitoring the development of equality matters in the community, e.g. by gathering information and making evaluations and taking the initiative to making reports, surveys or research in the field of equality;
7. Working on preventative measures against gender-based violence, gender-specific harassment and sexual harassment in collaboration with other authorities and organisations that specifically work on such preventative measures, cf. the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights Irrespective of Gender;
8. Working to eliminate pay inequality and other discrimination in the labour market, with a special emphasis on eliminating gender-based pay inequality in keeping with the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights Irrespective of Gender;
9. Seeking to settle disagreements regarding the provisions of the Act that are brought before the Directorate of Equality, if the Directorate considers it appropriate;
10. Working against negative gender ideas and negative gender stereotypes regarding the role of women and men, as well as negative stereotypes based on race, ethnic origin, religion, life stance, disability, reduced working capacity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender characteristics and gender expression;
11. Overseeing the administration of equal pay certification and equal pay confirmation in keeping with Article 9 of the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights Irrespective of Gender; monitoring equal pay certification and equal pay confirmation in keeping with Article 10 of that Act; and granting equal pay confirmation in keeping with Article 8 of that Act;
12. Working on other projects in keeping with the objective of the Acts, in accordance with the Minister’s decision.

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