Equality Ombudsman
The Equality Ombudsman (Swedish: Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO, “discrimination ombudsman”; formerly Jämställdhetsombudsmannen, JämO) is a government agency in Sweden tasked with supervising the laws relating to discrimination on sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age. It was formed on 1 January 2009 by the four previously separate ombudsmen tasked with different aspects of discrimination.
History
The term ombudsman refers to the office with staff as well as being the title of its government-appointed acting head. Its main task was to monitor the function and adherence to four laws that regulated gender equality: the Equality Act, the Equal Treatment of University Students Act, the law prohibiting discrimination and other degrading treatment of children and pupils, and as of 1 July 2005, also the law prohibiting gender discrimination.
JämO also worked to increase awareness of the four laws through information and advocacy, and to promote equality in workplaces, colleges, schools, employment training, training institutions, as well as several other areas of society. In 2006 the government's budget for the authority was 27.9 million SEK. Since 2011, Agneta Broberg has served as Equality Ombudsman.