What is multiple discrimination?  

Discrimination is the unequal treatment of people who are in comparable situations. It is linked to characteristics associated with specific groups, leads to people experiencing unfavourable treatment and can result in material disadvantage.  

Multiple discrimination occurs when discrimination is based on several grounds – a combination of personal characteristics such as skin colour, sex, background, lifestyle, religion, language, socio-economic status, health status or level of education.  

Multiple discrimination and intersectional discrimination 

Discrimination against someone with disabilities who is dependent on using a wheelchair happens when they encounter various physical barriers in their everyday life. If this individual is also a woman and she applies for a job, she might not be offered the position because the employer believes that women are not suited to management roles. The individual is said in this case to experience multiple discrimination – in one situation as someone with disabilities and in another as a woman. 

In a different situation she might be discriminated against simultaneously as a woman and as someone with disabilities. An employer might both not want to employ a woman and also not want to give a job to someone who is a wheelchair user. Multiple discrimination can take place consecutively at different times or cumulatively in a single situation.  

The same person might also face intersectional discrimination. Women with disabilities experience more violence than, for example, men with disabilities or women without disabilities. The personal characteristics intersect and thus lead to a specific form of discrimination.  

A topic for the SHRI  

In a traditional understanding of human rights, discrimination is often considered one-dimensionally. This approach carries the risk that multiple discrimination is rendered invisible and therefore cannot be effectively combated.  

Since combinations of discrimination characteristics lead to individuals and groups being particularly vulnerable, civil society, public authorities and international human rights agreements are increasingly taking multiple discrimination into account. To support and further advance this development, the SHRI is focusing on multiple discrimination. 

Against all forms of discrimination 

The concept of multiple discrimination allows discrimination to be understood as a structural problem. Power and inequality structures in Swiss society can be identified and action can be taken against all forms of discrimination.  

Through this priority topic the SHRI examines the relevance of a multidimensional understanding of discrimination in order to reveal instances of multiple discrimination. The aim of this multidimensional approach is to contribute to further advancing human rights, to raise awareness in society about the intersection of different forms of discrimination and to lead to specific policy, justice and social initiatives.