Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 gives the Commission powers to provide grant funding to bodies to carry out certain activities to promote human rights and equality in Ireland. The themes of this year’s funding are informed by the priorities set out in the Commission’s Strategy Statement 2022-2024.

Grant Scheme 2022-2023

32 organisations have been awarded a total of €400,000 in funding for projects under the Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2022.

The successful projects focus on areas such as: valuing care work and supporting carers; addressing employment barriers and opportunities for migrant women in rural Ireland, and people with disabilities; building capacity of members of the Traveller community to access their accommodation rights; and supporting groups to engage with public bodies on the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.

This year for the first time, projects were awarded under two categories; the first strand providing for general and small grants and the second, new strand, giving funding for local rights-holder and community based groups of up to €5,000.

The full list of organisations receiving the Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2022 are:

Organisation	Project Title	Summary
Irish Wheelchair Association	Think Ahead, Think Housing 2023	The aim of this project is to develop an awareness campaignÿto highlight the lived experience of disabled people in the housing market and in particular on the approved social housing waiting list across the country. This project will highlight areas of non-compliance with public sector equality and human rights through the lens of rights-holders lived experience.
Longford Women's Resource Group Partners National Women's Council of Ireland and Maynooth University	Migrant womens experience of economic inequality	The aim of this project is to conduct research, to capture the lived experience of migrant women in rural communities in the Midlands of Ireland at risk of economic inequalities. The findings will be translated into co-created policy recommendations and practical measures to facilitate inclusion and active participation of migrant women in the workforce and more broadly. Tangible outcomes include a manual for rights holders to support their inclusion and participation in rural communities and a good practice guide for civil society organisations to ensure inclusion of migrant women in local decision-making structures.
Irish Penal Reform Trust	Working with Conviction	The aim of this project is to undertake a study of the barriers to employment for individuals with previous convictions and whether they face discrimination in accessing decent and sufficient work which can in turn impact their right to an adequate standard of living and economic equality. It will include a specific focus on the attitudes of employers. The project aims to provide evidence to support the inclusion of a criminal conviction ground in the upcoming review of the equality legislation.
Family Carers Ireland	Valuing Care work: Improving Family Carers? Access to Adequate Income Supports	The aim of this project is to advance greater economic equality for family carers through the development of an income support reform proposal. Using qualitative and quantitative research to examine the challenges carers experience in accessing Carer?s Allowance, the project will merge the knowledge of carers, practitioners and academics to co-produce solutions and co-develop a concrete income support reform proposal with implementation recommendations for carers.
Irish Deaf Society	Breaking Down the Barriers	The aim of this project is conduct qualitative research of deaf adult women and men about their employment experience over the last 10 years. It seeks to break down the barriers to equal employment opportunities by identifying areas that prevent deaf people from obtaining and maintaining employment, and finding solutions that will contribute to greater economic equality, increased choice and fairness in relation to the employment.
Hygiene Bank Ireland	Understanding Hygiene Poverty	The aim of this project is to conduct research into the effects of hygiene poverty in Ireland. By gaining a better understanding of hygiene poverty, The Hygiene Bank Ireland aims to influence the definition of poverty to account for this form of poverty and ensure that the inability to afford hygiene items is included as a deprivation indicator by the Central Statistics Office. The research aims to highlight peoples lived experiences of hygiene poverty. The findings and recommendations will be shared to inform the conversation on poverty and the living wage more generally.
Doras	Transformative Human Rights Education for Migrant & Refugee Communities	The aim of this project is to develop accessible human rights education/training co-designed with rights holders to build leadership skills and expertise within the migrant and refugee communities to address economic inequality. The project will include a series of in-person workshops and online interactive education resources accessible in multiple languages and shared on the SaorEd education platform. Its focus will be understanding employment rights and transformative human rights education to advocate on social welfare, housing and education.
Irish Refugee Council	Improving the living conditions of newly arrived people seeking international protection	The aim of this project is to advance the human rights of newly arrived people seeking international protection in Ireland by carrying out a survey to better understand their financial difficulties when they arrive and an audit of the daily expenses allowance. This will lead to the publication of a policy paper with recommendations to improve the system and advocate for changes to the relevant policies and legislation.
Action Aid Partner National Women's Council of Ireland	Economic Equality for Carers: A Symposium on Care	The aim of this project to strengthen the advocacy and capacity of women carers, carry out policy analysis, and organise a Symposium on Care that will bring together rights-holders, along with national and international experts to provide solutions on how we can reorganise care. This work will inform the development of a policy paper that will offer a set of policy solutions and increase awareness of care as a crucial human rights and equality issue among politicians, policymakers, media and other NGOs.
Phoenix Women's Centre, Kerry	Race and Gender: An Examination of Intersectional Barriers in Employment in Rural Ireland	The aim of this project is to carry out qualitative and quantitative research to give women of colour a voice regarding their experience of employment and examine the barriers they face in a rural town setting in South West Ireland. The research, which will be undertaken by researchers from Munster Technological University and the National College of Ireland, in collaboration with the Phoenix Women's Centre, will explore the specific ways in which both gender and race (re)produce inequality in our labour market. It aims to propose a set of supports for employees and employers to combat the reproduction of intersectional bias and promote these to the relevant stakeholders.
Inclusion Ireland	Make it Work ? Promote Employment for All!	The aim of this project is to build the capacity of a group of people with intellectual disabilities to lead and facilitate discussions with other people with intellectual disabilities to speak about their right to work. The group will get involved in the Budget 2024 campaign to highlight employment related issues. The project will also produce a code of good practice for employers with input from companies. Models of good employment practice in Ireland will be highlighted through videos and podcasts.
Irish Network Against Racism Partner Community Action Network	Communities Speaking Out: Minority Ethnic Leaders STAND against racism	The aim of this project is to deliver a training programme that addresses racismÿincluding institutional and structural racism.ÿ It willÿincludeÿthe role of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty in addressing these issues. It will develop the skills of a group of minority ethnic leadersÿwho want to become anti-racism facilitators and provide human rights based and values led training.ÿ This will fill a gap for ethnic minority led training in this sector. It is intended that the programme be expanded into a social entrepreneurship model, where the Minority Ethnic Leaders become paid trainers.
Ruhama	The sexual violence and trauma of prostitution - supporting exit pathways and ending the sex trade	The project aims, through a conference, to influence positive change in knowledge and understanding of the impact of prostitution, trafficking and sexual exploitation. It will give voice to people who are impacted through contributions from survivors. It aims to discuss supports needed to empower women to exit prostitution and advance economic equality for women by supporting pathways to economic independence. A report of the conference will disseminated.
Gorm Media	Intercultural Training Programme to promote compliance with the Public Sector Duty	The aim of this project is to develop participatory research with culturally diverse rights-holders that informs the development of an intercultural training programme to support public bodies to comply with their duties to promote and protect human rights and equality. It will provide a mechanism to support public bodies to enhance their engagement in intergroup dialogue and to adopt an evidence based approach to their human rights and equality assessments so that the rights of marginalised culturally diverse groups can be better protected and addressed.
All Together in Dignity Ireland	Voicing and Acting on Socio-Economic Discrimination: Taking a Human Rights Approach to Raising Awareness and Building a Deeper Understanding	The aim of this project is to develop a series of tools including an academic paper, an exhibition, and a short film with rights holders who have lived experience, to raise awareness and challenge perceptions of socio-economic discrimination and its relevance to the public sector duty. It aims to break barriers between rights holders and public bodies (including academics and practitioners) and thus giving rights holders/ peer researchers a space to present their issues to the relevant public bodies and support public bodies in adopting an evidence-based approach to their equality and human rights assessment.
Community Law and Media	Capacity Building Training Sessions of Public Bodies? on the Public Sector Duty	The aim of this project is to deliver three training sessions to public bodies to support them to better understand and apply the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty as part of their strategic planning and thereby strengthen their compliance. The training aims to assist in cultural change and for public bodies to have a proactive approach to make equality and human rights an integral part of their work.
Disability Federation of Ireland	Building capacity on the Public Sector Duty for DFI and its Member Organisations.	The aim of this project is to deliver capacity building, training and education on the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty to enable the Disability Federation of Ireland to understand and recognise its own responsibilities and that of its 121 member organisations to support compliance with the duty in the disability sector. The process will be evaluated as the project aims to foster changes in attitudes and behaviours through education and training developed as a result of this initiative.
CultUr Migrant Centre, Meath	Peer To Peer: Community Human Rights Platform	The aim of this project is to create a Community Human Rights Platform made up of migrant organisations and leaders in Meath and a programme of activities that will create awareness and understanding among migrant communities and local communities of their rights and the obligations of duty bearers, including the function of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty and how it?s implementation can improve access to and the experience of public services.
Inner-City Organisations Network	Applying a Public Sector Duty Approach to the Human Rights and Equality Issues identified by Service Users of Drug Treatment Services In the North East Inner City (NEIC).	The aim of this project is to apply the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty approach to issues identified by service users of drug treatment projects in the North East Inner City. The project will deliver evidence based, peer led research as well as raising awareness of the Duty in a broader context through community events. The combined approach can be used to advocate for changes in legislation, policy and practice and lead to improved collaboration with duty bearers.
National Council of the Blind of Ireland	Your Rights Roadshow ? Promoting the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty	The aim of this project is to host hybrid advocacy meetings in five locations for people who are blind or vision impaired to achieve greater awareness of the function of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. It?s propose is to increase their advocacy skills in this regard and support these local networks to engage with local public service(s). It will also help to build relationships and capacity to address issues into the future.
Irish Traveller Movement	Traveller Accommodation Rights and Policy Online Hub	The aim of this project is to create an online information hub on Traveller accommodation rights and policy in order to strengthen advocacy and organising capacity, and increase awareness of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty and how it relates to improving Traveller accommodation rights for those who have had their rights systematically denied.
SAOL Project	Understanding and responding to addiction and domestic abuse in the North Inner City	The aim of this project is to carry out quantitative and qualitative research to increase evidence base on the scope and impact of addiction and domestic abuse on the North Inner City to inform and ensure that public services and supports are fit for purpose in terms of being integrated services and upholding the human rights of women who use substances and experience violence in their homes.
ASIAM	Inclusive Education in Ireland - Rights, Responsibilities and Duties	The aim of this project will carry out a consultation and policy analysis on inclusive education in Ireland, with a particular focus on reduced timetables, suspensions, and expulsions leading to a report on the current situation. It will inform the development of a Resource Guide for the autistic community, wider disability community and families to empower them to vindicate their rights to an appropriate education. The report in particular will be used to inform and hold public bodies to account to meet their equality and human rights obligations in relation to education.
Age Action	Digital First Should Not Mean Digital Only ? The Public Sector Duty and Digital Exclusion	This aim of this project is to involve older people in informing an equality and human rights analysis of the relevant strategies and policies to advance the delivery of public services digitally. The report will provide an evidence base for the naming of digital exclusion as an issue as well as demonstrating how the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty can be applied to address equality and human rights issues arising from the stated Government commitment to a ?digital first? approach to delivering public services.
Mercy Law Resource Centre	Social Housing, Domestic Violence and the Public Sector Duty	The aim of project is to bring about a change in attitudes, practices and laws that negatively impact people who have experienced domestic violence and engage with social housing supports, with a focus on the obligations set out under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. The components of the project include a conference of stakeholders, supported by a report with practical recommendations.
Age & Opportunity	Learning from Covid 19 ? The Voice of Older People as Rights Holders	The aim of project is to carry out peer led participatory research that captures the experiences of older people to the public sector response to Covid-19 and whether they feel that their human rights were respected throughout the pandemic. It will explore older people?s awareness of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty and its potential. The findings will be used to inform a set of recommendations for public sector bodies to improve their awareness of and adherence to the Duty in relation to such public health crises.
Ballymun Community Law Centre	Community legal knowledge in Ballymun: education programme needs analysis.	The aim of the project is to gain an up-to-date understanding of the legal education needs and interests of the community in Ballymun through consultation in order to keep the programme relevant and engage greater numbers of local Ballymun people. This education programme empowers people facing high and systematic labour market discrimination to vindicate their rights.
Hawkswell Theatre Partners HSE Training Service, National Learning Network, This Ability, Down Syndrome Sligo	SHINE ? Drama Participation Programme with People with Disabilities	This project aims to achieve greater equality of accessibility by supporting people with intellectual disabilities to access theatre as participants. A series of immersive drama workshops for people with intellectual disabilities will be provided, along with training for local artists to work in this area. Engagement with community groups and support services will shape the programme. The artist training programme devised will be available to other Arts venues who are interested in integrating accessibility into their practice in the future.
Rialto Community Drugs Team	Development of a Service User Human Rights Charter	The aim of this project is to build understanding and use of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty and to capture service users? experience so as to develop an evidence based approach to developing a service users? charter of rights and responsibilities and empower service users to voice their views.
Fatima Groups United	Fatima for ALL	The aim of this project is to understand the needs of local migrant groups, build relations and develop a human rights action plan setting out how those issues can be addressed by the community, and public bodies.
Disability Action Collective, Ballyfermot	The Hub ? Building Advocacy Capacity	The aim of this project is to develop a Hub for people with disabilities and people who have caring responsibilities so that they can build their capacity on how to overcome barriers to access services, exchange information, participate in their community and to build awareness of the public sector equality and human rights duty in this regard.
Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group Partner Technological University Dublin (TU) - Blanchardstown Campus	Traveller access to and participation in Higher Education ? What Supports Work	The aim of this project is to carry out action research with the engagement of Traveller peer researchers to establish what works in supporting Travellers access to and participation in higher education. The learning from the research will inform TU?s ? Blanchardstown Campus - public sector equality and human rights duty obligations in relation to access and participation of members of the Traveller community in higher education.