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Why did we create Unique?
In the European Union, the principle of equal treatment is fundamental, as it is articulated in Article 2 of the Treaty on the EU and Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Over the past decades, the EU, the UN and the Council of Europe have strengthened standards on non-discrimination and equality. But still, some groups, among them people who identify as LGBTQIA+ (gender and sexual minorities), are disproportionately affected by poverty, marginalization and exclusion from basic rights such as education, employment and healthcare due to structural disadvantages. Gaining access is even harder if one is affected by intersectional discrimination. In the 2020 survey “A long way to go for LGBTI equality” of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights shows 19% of queer people reported being discriminated against in educational contexts.
Our target groups
The first central target group of our project are educators in continuing VET and adult education. They have tremendous influence on their students and thus the power to support their education journeys in a positive way when they understand their life-reality and support their needs. On the other hand, prejudice, ignorance, and partial knowledge can lead to educational environments being unsafe for marginalized people and endanger their success. We will enhearten educators by equipping them with knowledge about life-realities and the practical tools for implementation of adequate support for learners and colleagues. In a nutshell, we want to teach them how to be allies for LGBTQIA+ VET and adult learners in their classrooms and pedagogical team by providing adequate support and protecting their fundamental rights.
Our second main target group are administrative and other staff in adult education institutions. Nurturing the diversity of the members of our society is a permanent, fundamental and complex task. Educational institutions can be extraordinary change agents. They, too, are in direct contact with the adult learners and they decide over aspects that are essential for the safety and success of LGBTQIA+ learners and staff as well: For example, they are crucial in providing support when people have experienced discrimination. For a trans or intersex person, there might be questions about the registration of the civil status or how an institution deals with legal name changes or supplementary ID cards. It is therefore very important to provide education for the administration about those topics to foster a non-discriminatory practice for learner’s and staff’s fundamental rights.
