Abstract: Abstract The changes generated in Europe by the growing concern with multiple inequality strands have reached Spain after some delay. Whereas comprehensive gender equality machineries and policy instruments have been developed both at the national and regional levels since the late 1980s, these have shown limited concern for multiple discrimination as respective strands of inequality were being tackled by specific institutions and policy mechanisms. Neither the strong institutionalization of gender equality policies nor the ‘legislative turn’ which saw Spain increasingly legislating on gender equality from the early 2000s have been sufficient to engage with the fact that gender discrimination is also shaped by other inequalities. Spain still can be characterized as pursuing a ‘unitary’ approach, in which inequalities are tackled by separate institutions and gender has primacy. There has been no trace of a truly intersectional approach through which intersections between multiple equality strands are analysed. Instead, Spain is taking its very first steps in institutionalizing a policy aiming at the elimination of multiple discrimination. Keywords: anti-discriminationequality policiesEuropean Union (EU)intersectionalitySpain Notes Personal interview with Micaela Navarro, Andalusian Ministry (Consejera) of Equality and Social Affairs (14 July 2008). Although this maintenance might be characterized as ‘low profile’, it was important for the continuity of gender policies, especially the ones related to gender violence and employment promotion. Key factors for explaining the then unexpected Conservative support for gender equality policies were the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and European support and resources for gender policies (Bustelo and Ortbals Citation2007). Among these were the Organic Act 1/2004, 28 December, on Integrated Protection Measures against Gender Violence, Act 15/2005, 8 July, concerning the modification of the Civil Code and Civil Act in the matter of separation and divorce (the so-called same-sex marriage law), Act 39/2006, 14 December, for the promotion of personal autonomy and attention to persons in situation of dependency (the so-called ‘dependency law’), the re-inclusion of gender equality aims in the reformed Education Act 2006 and Organic Act 3/2007, 22 March, for Effective Equality between Women and Men. Royal Decree 438/2008, 14 April, for the approval of the basic organic structure for the ministries' departments. BOE n. 92, 16 April 2008, p. 20016. Royal Decree 1135/2008, 4 July, for the development of the basic organic structure for the Ministry of Equality. BOE n. 165, 9 July 2008, p. 30006, my translation and emphasis added. Royal Decree 1135/2008, 4 July, for the development of the basic organic structure for the Ministry of Equality. BOE n. 165, 9 July 2008, p. 30006. Even the Directorate General for Employment Equality aims for ‘the promotion of and participation in the design of public policies entitled to improve women's employability and permanence in employment, fostering a high level of training and their adaptability to labour market requirements’ (Royal Decree 1135/2008, p. 30005–6, my translation, emphasis added). Royal Decree 1135/2008, p. 30003, my translation, emphasis added. Organic Act 3/2007, 22 March, for Effective Equality between Women and Men. Navarra (2002), Castilla y León and Valencia (2003), Galicia (2004), País Vasco (2005), Baleares (2006) and Murcia and Andalucía (2007, in the wake of the national Act). The most complete is the Basque one. For extended information, see Bustelo Citation(2008). This analysis is based on the data gathered and analysed through the QUING (Quality in Gender+ Equality Policies). QUING is an international research project (2006–11) funded within the European Commission's sixth Framework Programme. It involves twelve project partners across Europe and analyses gender equality policies in twenty-nine countries. I want to thank the Universidad Complutense de Madrid team of researchers who have worked on the Spanish case: Silvia López, Amaia Pérez Orozco, Elin Peterson and Raquel Platero. See http://www.quing.eu. Sub-topics included under the general category ‘non-employment’ in the QUING project. Interview with Isabel Martínez Lozano, Secretary General of Equality Policies (31 July 2008). Much more detailed information on laws prohibiting these diverse forms of discrimination can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=612&langId=en. The Secretary General claims that maybe it would make more sense to wait until the new ‘Equality Treatment Act’ is passed. Act 4/2000, of 11 January, of Rights and Liberties of Foreigners in Spain and its Social Integration, modified by Act 8/2000, Act 11/2003 and Act 14/2003. According to Amnesty International (Citation2008), by March 2008 the EU had not still decided whether to submit the Spanish case to the Luxemburg European Court of Justice. Interview with Isabel Martínez (31 July 2008). Interview with Isabel Martínez (31 July 2008), my translation. Interview with Isabel Martínez (31 July 2008), my translation. Interviews with Marta Selva, Director of the Catalonian Women's Institute (Barcelona, 18 June 2008) and with Micaela Navarro, Andalusian Ministry of Equality and Social Affairs (Seville, 14 July 2008). Interviews with Isabel Martínez (31 July 2008), Marta Selva (18 June 2008) and Micaela Navarro (14 July 2008). Interview with Isabel Martínez (31 July 2008), my translation.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-10-31
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 27
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