The Office for Non-Discrimination opened 240 cases in 2022
The Office for Non-Discrimination (OND) opened 240 cases last year relating to discrimination on the grounds of origin, gender, disability, ideology, age, health or language, the goal being to support victims of these types of discrimination and guarantee the rights of people living in the city.
The municipal service recorded a 10% increase in racist or xenophobic discrimination in 2022, compared to the previous year. The mostly commonly violated right in these cases was the right to moral integrity (43%), followed by the right to provision of service (19%).
At the same time, general complaints of LGBTI-phobia fell by 10%. Moral integrity was also the most commonly violated right among this collective (55.36%), followed by physical integrity (16%). Out of the cases opened by the OND relating to LGBTI-phobia, 31 correspond to gayphobia, 15 to transphobia and 9 to lesbophobia. Cases in these last two categories have risen more significantly in the last few years.
According to the report from the OND, this may be connected to the empowerment of LGBTI people, the entrenchment of reactions from aggressors who do not accept sexual diversity and the fact there is greater community awareness about denouncing aggression.
The rest of the cases opened by the office are connected with discrimination on the grounds of health (9%), gender (8%), disability (8%) and, in lower percentages (under 3% in each case), use of language, socio-economic position, ideology, religion and age.
In terms of rights violated, over 40% of recorded cases are attacks against moral integrity. Physical integrity, in fourth place, represented 8% of cases.
At people’s side
The OND handled over 500 enquiries from citizens in 2022 and conducted training relating to rights and non-discrimination for over 1,400 people. The office provided legal support in 330 instances last year, a similar figure to the previous year. In contrast, the volume of psycho-social support doubled, the figure reaching 128.
The OND is a municipal facility which helps and supports people who have been victims of discrimination, offering them educational and psycho-social assistance. The office also provides legal advice, for instance, to formally denounce cases. Based in C/ Ferran, the office is now in its 25th year of service, fighting to guarantee everybody’s rights.
