NWO Vidi grant awarded to Alexandra Timmer for research into anti-discrimination legislation

Dr Alexandra Timmer has received a Vidi grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). She is an associate professor of human rights at the School of Law at Utrecht University and also researcher affiliated with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM). Alexandra received the grant for her project: ‘Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg: Structural Discrimination and Dutch Equality Legislation’.

In the Netherlands, discrimination often occurs not only openly, but also hidden in systems, rules and policies. This affects society as a whole. However, current anti-discrimination laws mainly focus on individual cases and do not sufficiently address underlying causes. This research examines how Dutch equality legislation can be reshaped to better combat structural discrimination. The researchers clarify legal concepts, study experiences from other countries, and explicitly involve communities that experience discrimination and policymakers. The result will be scientifically well-founded and, at the same time, concrete suggestions on how the legislation can be revised.

At Utrecht University, Alexandra is also affiliated with the Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe (RENFORCE) and the interdisciplinary Research Platform Equality Legal Studies (EQUALS). In addition, she has been appointed as a member of the State Commission against Discrimination and Racism.