United Kingdom

Equal Rights Trust announces appointment of Co-Directors

Today, the Equal Rights Trust announces that Dr Dimitrina Petrova, who co-founded the organisation and has served as its Executive Director for ten years has stepped down, and that Jim Fitzgerald (former Head of Advocacy) and Joanna Whiteman (former Head of Litigation) have been appointed as Co-Directors to lead the organisation in the next stage of its development.

Dimitrina led the Trust from its inception as a registered charity in 2006 to its present profile as a unique and highly successful organisation in the human rights movement and the Equal Rights Trust is very grateful to her for her inimitable contribution.

Employment law conference supports Equal Rights Trust fund to level the playing field in human rights careers

In February the Equal Rights Trust launched its Bob Hepple Memorial Fund a campaign which promotes equal opportunity in human rights careers by supporting funded internship and fellowship placements with the Trust.  The Fund levels the playing field, giving those without the financial means to take up unpaid placements the opportunity to enter the human rights sector and fulfil their ambition.

Equal Rights Trust calls for UK action to strengthen and safeguard right to equality

Following the referendum vote in the United Kingdom (UK) in favour of leaving the European Union (EU) last Thursday, the Equal Rights Trust urges the UK government to take urgent and effective measures to tackle inequality and respond robustly to discrimination. The Equal Rights Trust has noted with concern the centrality of inequality and discrimination to events and discourses in the lead up to and aftermath of the referendum.

Speaking on behalf of the Trust, Bob Niven, Vice Chair said:

Equal Rights Trust and human rights organisations unite against UK Human Rights Act repeal

The the Equal Rights Trust and 135 other organisations have pledged to fight plans announced by the Government today that it intends to replace the UK’s Human Rights Act with a weaker “British Bill of Rights”.

Human Rights Act Repeal PledgeThe Human Rights Act enshrines fundamental freedoms into UK law and allows the British public to challenge abuse, neglect or mistreatment, and so the pledge reaffirms that human right are universal, indivisible and inalienable – not a privilege to be given and rationed by any government.

Interview: Kimberlé Crenshaw and Patricia Schulz on Intersectionality

In the latest volume of our Equal Rights Review – an interdisciplinary journal offering analysis, insight and ideas to promote equality – the Equal Rights Trust spoke with two experts to discuss intersectionality and its contribution to advancing equality. Below is an extract from this interview. See the full transcript here.

Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw is a leading authority in the area of civil rights, black feminist legal theory, and race, racism and the law. She is widely known for her central role in the development of the idea of intersectionality.

Article 7 - The Equality and Non-Discrimination Provision

A memorandum prepared by Dr Dimitrina Petrova, the founding Executive Director of the Equal Rights Trust, for the Global Citizenship Commission. It was used in the preparation of their report, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the 21st Century, the findings of which were presented to Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, on 18 April 2016.

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