Successful Study Visit: Exchange on Equality and Anti-Discrimination
In November 2024, a delegation from North Macedonia visited Austria. The aim of the study visit was to exchange strategies, challenges, and best practices with Austrian colleagues in the field of anti-discrimination and equality.
As part of the EU-funded project ‘EU Support for Rule of Law in North Macedonia’, a three-day study visit to Austria took place in mid-November 2024. The delegation was made up of representatives from the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, the ombudsman organisation and the Ministry for Social Policy, Demography and Youth of North Macedonia. Our colleagues Susanne Belihart and Johanna Blimlinger as well as our administrative director, Patricia Mussi-Mailer, accompanied the three-day study visit.
Day 1: Exchange in Graz
The first day started with a visit to the Anti-Discrimination Office Styria, where the delegation was welcomed by its head, Daniela Grabovac. She provided an overview of local strategies and network cooperation in anti-discrimination efforts, as well as collaboration with external partners.
Day 2: Focus on Vienna
The second day in Vienna started at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) with a discussion on the legal framework surrounding equality and anti-discrimination. The delegation then visited the Equal Treatment Commission to learn about its working methods.
In the afternoon the Disability Ombudsperson Christine Steger shared her daily challenges and overall strategies. Another highlight was the visit to ZARA, a leading Austrian NGO specializing in anti-racism work. Fiorentina Azizi-Hacker and Amina El-Gamal presented innovative approaches, including counseling strategies, collaborations, and the use of online tools.
Day 3: Manifold perspectives
On the last day the delegation visited the Ombud for Equal Treatment, the Vienna Children’s and Youth Ombuds-Office, and the Austrian Litigation Association to explore strategic work as well as case-specific practices. The visit concluded at the Chamber of Labour Vienna, where the participants learned about measures to combat workplace discrimination and the role of the Chamber in this effort.
The study visit offered a valuable platform for knowledge transfer and experience exchange between North Macedonian and Austrian institutions. Delegates from both countries were impressed—on one hand, by the diversity of approaches and collaboration between public and civil society actors in Austria, and on the other, by the initiatives and ongoing developments in North Macedonia.
