European handbook on equality data. Why and how to build to a national knowledge base on equality and discrimination on the grounds of racial and ethnic origin, religion and belief, disability, age and sexual orientation

Policies and practices in all areas of life, including political, administrative and business life, should be based on objective and reliable data. No one can afford costly mistakes based on faulty assumptions. This also holds for issues regarding equal treatment. There is more need
than ever to have – and to use – equality data. Yet all too often, the required data are lacking. And if the information is available, it is frequently incomplete or difficult to compare across borders. As a consequence, major gaps remain in our knowledge and understanding of discrimination issues.

This handbook, produced by the Finnish Ministry of Labour with the support of the European Commission, represents an important step in tackling this knowledge gap. It does so by analysing what information can usefully be gathered, and by providing advice on how best to collect these data in practice. It provides some concrete suggestions on how national data collection measures could be developed. Its advice should prove useful for politicians, civil servants, equality groups, specialised bodies for the promotion of equal treatment, those working within the justice system and non-governmental organisations.

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