Discriminating against a person on the grounds of their gender, age, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religion, beliefs or sexual orientation is illegal, but combatting discrimination is much more than just respecting the legal framework: it involves taking a global approach towards its agents and users in order to:

• Understand the diverse contexts in which discrimination can occur and the multiple forms it can take.
• Identify the elements that make it possible to qualify a situation of discrimination legally.
• Prevent the risk of discrimination.
• Know the means of redress and resources needed to tackle discrimination.

Interview with Isabelle Cabanac – Diversity Officer at the Gard Departmental Council

Why did you set up training on the “Fight against discrimination”?

The Gard Departmental Council promotes global action for economic, social, educational and cultural development. As such, it is committed to combatting discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. The Gard Department also wanted to set up an internal training course for agents in order to raise their awareness of the risk of discrimination, establish a regulatory framework, provide them with the tools to detect situations of discrimination and promote equal opportunities. Following a call for tenders, the Departmental Council selected Arthur Hunt Consulting to run this training course.

The Inclusion Centre ran training sessions with the heads of the departments of the Gard Departmental Council. What feedback did you receive at the end of the sessions?

Feedback has been very positive at two levels: – earning and understanding about stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination, with playful but concrete practical applications that have made it possible for everyone to take these concepts on board. – awareness by each person of their place and responsibility with regard to their behaviour and posture; this awareness was raised in particular by exchanges on concrete situations experienced in the field and around current or future procedures.

What did you take away from Arthur Hunt Consulting’s approach?

I myself took part in this training, which allowed me to be enriched by each person’s perspective on a very cross-cutting subject, where everyone’s involvement is essential for this topic to come alive, and I particularly appreciated that this training is not done in a top-down manner but by focusing on the participation of all.