Description
The winners of the 4th European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award are:
'Local authorities with more than 50,000 inhabitants' category
- The Gold Award goes to the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands, for its impressive citywide commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, embedded in all departments and supported by strong structures, leadership and funding.
- The Silver Award goes to the city of Bilbao, Spain, for its intersectional and values-based initiatives in employment, education, transport, security, youth and sport.
- The Bronze Award goes to the city of Krakow, Poland, for its programmes supporting various people in public spaces, health, education and culture.
Category of 'local authorities with less than 50,000 inhabitants
- The Gold Award goes to the city of Mariehamn, Finland, for its inclusive approach in municipal workplaces, education and integration of newcomers, guided by a clear intersectional vision.
- The Silver Award goes to the city of Usurbil, Spain, for its inclusive vision and focus on gender equality, migrant integration and co-responsibility in care.
- The Bronze Award goes to the city of Settimo Torinese, Italy, for an outstanding approach rooted in participatory budgeting, inclusive forums, public engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration to amplify the impact of municipal policies, such as with local businesses, police forces or schools.
Specific award for inclusive housing
- The Gold Award goes to the city of Braga, Portugal, for its strategy to support the elderly, people with disabilities, single parents, Roma, migrants and victims of domestic violence.
- The Silver Award goes to the city of Gualdo Tadino, Italy, for its innovative housing initiatives in support of women, LGBTIQ people, people with disabilities and migrants.
- The Bronze Award goes to the city of Zaragoza, Spain, for its multi-layered approach to preventing homelessness and supporting access to housing for a variety of people.
The Public Choice Award, for which the public voted during the award ceremony, goes to Zaragoza.
The ceremony, which took place in Brussels, also marks the start of European Diversity Month 2025, which celebrates efforts to help build equal and inclusive environments for the benefit of all.
Launched as part of the EU Action Plan Against Racism 2020-2025 and the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, the annual European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award is part of the Commission's work towards an Equality Union. The award recognises the work done by cities and regions in the European Union to promote inclusion and create societies free from discrimination and covers initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in terms of gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and LGBTIQ equality. It also assesses the authorities' attention to intersectionality, the interconnected relationship of multiple risks of discrimination and disadvantage.
In April, the European Commission launched two open public consultations to lay the groundwork for a new strategy for LGBTIQ equality after 2025 and the EU's first anti-racism strategy. Both strategies will build on the achievements of their predecessors. The consultations are open for contributions for 12 weeks, until 24 June for the LGBTIQ equality strategy and until 8 July for the anti-racism strategy, respectively. Everyone is invited to contribute to the open public consultations. Nominations for the fourth edition of the award were open from 26 November 2024 to 7 February 2025. A jury of experts evaluated the nominations based on a number of criteria, including the nature and scope of the initiatives, the ownership and level of commitment, the quality and sustainability of the initiatives, and the involvement of people exposed to discrimination in policy-making.
The European Diversity Month initiative is part of the Commission's commitment to combat discrimination and promote diverse and inclusive workplaces and was first held in May 2020 as part of the 10th anniversary of the EU Platform for Diversity Charters.
Source: European Commission
Image owner: European Commission Representation in Italy