EU Parliament calls for action to better trans people’s job situation

The Report calls upon EU Member States to “clearly include[e] in their national legislation the prohibition of any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity” and asking the EU Commission to “include explicitly a ban on discrimination on grounds of gender identity in any future recast”. The report also calls for trans people’s improved access to justice, proactive measures, non-discrimination laws, and trans-friendly workplaces. We congratulate the European Parliament on this important Report and particularly those Members of the European Parliament who voted in support of provisions calling for the improvement of trans people’s right despite their political groups’ oppositions.

[Statement from Transgender Europe]

TGEU welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the Zaborska Report [1] on equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation, this afternoon. Amongst other things the report also calls for trans people’s improved access to justice, proactive measures, non-discrimination laws, and trans-friendly workplaces.

TGEU highlights in particular that the Plenary voted for the amendments to paragraph 18 [2] calling upon Member States to “clearly include[e] in their national legislation the prohibition of any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity” and asking the EU Commission to “include explicitly a ban on discrimination on grounds of gender identity in any future recast”.

Furthermore, the Parliament also calls on the [EU] Commission to conduct a study into how procedures related to the legal gender recognition of a person, or the absence of such procedures, affect transgender people’s position on the labour market, particularly their access to employment, level of remuneration, career development and pensions (Para 52).

TGEU Senior policy Officer Richard Köhler comments: “This is a great success, as the majority of the trans specific content in the report was left untouched, a clear sign for the Commission and member States to swiftly take up the calls for action. Legal clarification is overdue to provide protection for all trans people. ”

TGEU Co-chair Arja Voipio added “Many trans jobseekers continue to experience discrimination when looking for a job, being at risk of multiple discrimination in employment. This is unacceptable, and this report calls for taking into account how abusive and absent legal gender recognition procedures have a further impact on trans people’s job situation. "

The Zaborska report assesses the implementation of the Gender Recast Directive [3], including some aspects that are important to improve trans people’s position in the job market.