What is discrimination?

In everyday usage, the word “discrimination” is often used in reference to unjust treatment of different kinds whereby someone makes distinctions between different people. What is considered by many people to be discrimination, however, is not always discrimination in a legal sense. 

The Discrimination Act (2008:567) defines discrimination as occurring when a person is treated unfavourably or when a person's dignity is violated. The unfavourable treatment or the violation of the person's dignity must have a connection to one of the seven grounds of discrimination.

The seven grounds of discrimination are:

• age
• disability
• ethnicity
• religion or other belief
• sexual orientation
• sex
• transgender identity or expression

There are six different forms of discrimination. You can read more about these on the Equality Ombudsman’s website:

Six forms of discrimination – do.se

Our responsibility and efforts to prevent discrimination

It is important to remember that Lund University is obligated to work preventively on active measures against all forms of discrimination. The University is also obligated to have procedures in place to manage occurrences of two of the forms of discrimination – harassment and sexual harassment. You can read more on the page about harassment and sexual harassment.

Harassment and sexual harassment

The University’s Vice-Chancellor shoulders the main responsibility for preventive work against discrimination, but all managers in the organisation have shared responsibility. All employees and students are responsible for contributing to the University’s aspiration of being a democratic and equal opportunity university that is free of discrimination.

Each faculty or equivalent has a group to strategically manage gender equality and equal opportunities in their own organisation.

Equal Opportunities Plan for Lund University

Lund University has a plan for its work to promote equal opportunities covering the period 2022-2027. The plan highlights four overall goals and the measures that are to be implemented to reach the goals.

Goals

1. Recruitment processes and career paths are to be free from discrimination.
2. The organisation is to have good knowledge and understanding of gender equality and equal opportunities.
3. Anti-discrimination work is to be vigorous, and actively and systematically preventive. 
4. The handling of and preventive work against victimisation, harassment and sexual harassment are to be done professionally.

You can read more about our work to promote gender equality and equal opportunities in the summary version of the University’s Equal Opportunities Plan. You will also find more information about the overall goals and the specific measures that are to be implemented.

Summary version of the Equal Opportunities Plan for Lund University, 2022–2027 (PDF 5.45 MB, new tab)

Council for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities

The University has a Council for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities. The council’s chair is in the management group and is appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The members of the council are to have management duties at faculty level/equivalent. Representatives of the trade unions and students are also included in the council.

The Council for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities’ task is to be a driving force in the University’s strategic work to combat discrimination and promote gender equality, equal opportunities and equal rights and opportunities in accordance with both internal rules and applicable laws and regulations.