Taking Gender Equality to Local Communities

1. Taking Gender Equality to Local Communities First Steering Committee meeting Flavia Pesce

2. Ministry for Rights and Equal Opportunities Ministry for Rights and Equal Opportunities Created by The Italian Government in 1997 to emphasize the importance of gender issues and policies. [GB1]Ministry or Department??) To programme and coordinate all activities, including legislative initiatives related to the promotion of equal opportunities between men and women and to prevent and eliminate discrimination. Specific task The Minister realizes her goals with the support of the Department for Rights and Equal Opportunities.

3. The Department for Rights and Equal Opportunities (DREO) It is the support structure which operates in the functional area relating to the promotion and coordination of equal opportunity policies and of Government actions aimed at preventing and removing discrimination. [GB1]Ministry or Department??) The Department for Rights and Equal Opportunities, therefore, places attention, in all the areas where policies and initiatives are established, on the adoption of a “gender approach” in order to assess their main differential impact for the sexes.

4. Tasks of the DREO The Department: • Gives directives concerning the acquisition and organisation of information and the promotion and coordination of activities regarding knowledge, verification, control, training and information in relation to equality and equal opportunities; • handles relations with local administrations and national and foreigner bodies operating in the field of equal opportunities; • adopts all the necessary initiatives to ensure the Government representation in national and international bodies.

5. Mandate of the DREO (1/2) • Propose and coordinate legislative and administrative initiatives dealing with policies for equal opportunities; • Promote study and coordination of processes related to equality and Equal Opportunities; • Define new guidelines to study and encourage projects and initiatives related to equal opportunities, in addition to coordinating all the proposals made by governing bodies or public authorities; • Organize and coordinate central or local governing bodies having the specific task to guarantee correct implementation of national regulations relating to equality between men and women;

6. Mandate of the DREO (2/2) • Develop national positions in the European legislative process and adaptation the national legal system to the legislation and the principles set up by European Union; • Coordinate and monitor projects concerning the organization and use of Structural Funds for policies related to equal opportunities; • Promote cooperation between national, regional and local governing bodies and national or international organizations for equal opportunities, in particular with the European Union, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OCSE.

7. Offices of the DREO The Department for Rights and Equal Opportunities is composed by the following Offices: • The Office for intervention in economic and social fields; • The Office for intervention for equality and equal opportunities; • The National Office against racial discrimination.

8. Office for Intervention in Economic and Social Fields The Office is divided in two Sectors: Economic and Social Sector International and Communitarian Affairs Sector • To coordinate and monitor actions regarding planning and use of European structural funds for equal opportunities; • to elaborate projects for equal opportunities in social and labour policies, in cooperation with other national and foreign administrations, especially in the European Union. • to coordinate relations with United Nation, the Council of Europe and OCSE. Main tasks

9. Office for Intervention for Equality and Equal Opportunities The Office is divided in: Sector for Scientific Projects Commission for Equal Opportunities • To coordinate studies related to actions of gender policies • To define new policies aimed at coordinating initiatives by national public administrations and authorities dealing with equal opportunities • To contribute to the organization and the functioning of the Secretariat of the National Commission for equal opportunities between men and women. Main tasks

10. National Office Against Racial Discrimination The Office is composed by two sections dealing with: Equality of treatment Studies and research • To guarantee the functioning of, and being the institutional reference for the protection tools for equality treatment. • To contribute to the elimination of discriminations or mistreatments based on race or ethnic origin, by analysing their impact in gender policies. • To collect claims of people potentially discriminated, also through a call centre, and to assist them with bringing their cases to Court, if required. Main tasks

11. Bodies collaborating with the Ministry(1/2) Other bodies collaborating with the Ministry for Rights and Equal Opportunities are: The Commission for Equal Opportunities between men and women Consultative and propulsive role. Directed by the Minister It provides the Ministry for Rights and Equal Opportunities with technical and scientific suggestions and support in devising and implementing equal opportunities policies. The Inter - ministerial Commission for the implementation of article 18 of the Law on immigration It has the function to monitor and plan all financial contributions allocated for the implementation of assistance and social integration projects (foreseen by the article 18).

12. Other bodies collaborating with the Ministry (2/2) The Committee for the female entrepreneurship It has the function to realize studies, researches and disseminate information on female entrepreneurship The Commission for the prevention and elimination of Female Genital Mutilation practices It has the function to organize informative campaign addressed to immigrates from countries in which this practices are currently executed It promotes initiatives aiming to sensibly people on Female Genital Mutilation and to organize the monitoring of the detected cases in all health and social services.