The UAB and the Generalitat cooperate to guarantee LGTBI rights

22/05/2020

The UAB and the Directorate-General for Equality of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Families of the Generalitat have signed an agreement to collaborate in addressing situations of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. As a result of this agreement, the UAB will refer the cases detected to the Comprehensive Care Service of Cerdanyola del Vallès. The agreement has been signed by Margarita Arboix, Rector of the UAB, and Mireia Mata i Solsona, Director General for Equality of the Generalitat.

The agreement states that the UAB will provide "initial expert assistance and evaluation of cases of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression" affecting any member of the university community. The university will pass on the reports and complaints detected to the Comprehensive Care Service of Cerdanyola del Vallès, which offers support and close assistance to people from this group who suffer any form of discrimination or violence, thanks to an agreement between the General-Directorate for Equality and the local council. In addition, the Directorate-General for Equality will evaluate "the cases received to initiate administrative penalty proceedings in accordance with Law 11/2014 of 10 October and the applicable administrative regulations or other actions to combat discrimination".

The UAB and the Directorate-General for Equality are also committed to promoting "spaces for reflection and analysis on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression". They are also committed to promoting or echoing campaigns and actions to guarantee LGBTI rights addressed to the entire university community (students, teaching and research staff and administration and services staff).

The work of the Observatory for Equality

This agreement will also deepen the work of the Observatory for Equality of the UAB which, among other initiatives, promoted in 2018 the approval of an action protocol against harassment to "prevent and act against sexual harassment, harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and male violence" and incorporated, in 2019, for the first time, the LGTBI perspective in the Fourth Action Plan for Gender Equality. Previously, in 2017, the UAB also approved the protocol on changing the legal name for transgender people, and the university commemorates the International Day against LGBTphobia annually.

In addition, this agreement expands the collaboration between the UAB and the administrations in terms of equality and the fight against discrimination: in 2018, the UAB signed an agreement with the Cerdanyola del Vallès City Council and the Catalan Institute for Women to refer cases of male violence to the city's Information and Care Service for women.