Ms Kate Mitchell:

There are a few areas where we are seeking inclusion on socioeconomic status grounds, but we also have a very large focus on intersectionality. We welcome the inclusion of a provision in the legislation to recognise the impact of intersectionality, but that needs to be extended to the Employment Equality Acts also.

There is very much a recognition that women share the experience of gender inequality, but many women face multiple and intersectional inequalities and discrimination. We see that being experienced by many different groups of women - disabled women, migrant women, ethnic minority women, and Traveller and Roma women. To echo what Mr. Collins said in terms of access to public services, we see that reflected across various domains of society, for example, immigrant women face significant challenges in accessing the healthcare they need, as well as culturally competent healthcare. Migrant women also face considerable barriers in the housing area such as overcrowding and their experience of direct provision. They also face challenges in accessing services for domestic and sexual violence. There are significant challenges due to the lack of interpretation services, access to legal aid and so on.

Women are not a minority group. As we all know, they represent half the population, so gender needs to be considered across all grounds, and we must look at it in the context of compounded multiple discrimination. For example, for a Traveller or migrant woman, her experience of discrimination might be because she is a woman, because of her ethnic identity or because of both. It is imperative that gender is considered across all grounds in the implementation of the Bill and that there is a focus on intersectionality.

My colleague might wish to speak further about the socioeconomic ground.