Social Affairs and Inclusive society
Making our society more inclusive and giving the space for self-determination.
According to 2019 estimations, there are 7000 homeless in Slovenia, a number certain to have increased following the Covid pandemic, although the EU has committed to ending homelessness until 2030.
Child poverty and poverty are being addressed far better than on EU level - still, about 13.7% of the population (~270 000 citizens) face the risk of poverty after social transfers averaging an income of less than 903€/month. Worse, half of citizens considered as poor have been living under the poverty line for extended periods of time.
Similarly, the rights of citizens with disabilities are still lagging far behind expectations according to the latest special report demanding implementation of “inclusive equality” and allowing citizens with handicaps a self-determined life. Likewise, there is considerable room for improvement with regards to the rights of citizens belonging to LGBTIQ communities.
Volt Slovenija proposes:
Poverty and homelessness
Follow the “housing first” strategy used in parts of the US to curb homelessness and provide a combination of social housing and low-barrier shelters to get homeless off of the street providing support for municipalities to create housing and shelters until 2030.
Ensure the most vulnerable children for poverty (from Albanian and travelling Roma families) receive special attention with regards to kindergarten, school integration and language apprehension.
Investigate the feasibility and effects of switching to a universal basic income including doing so as within the Schengen zone.
Generational integration
Adopt the Swedish process of age-friendly urban planning to ensure public spaces and cities remain accessible to the elderly
Support community programs to combat social isolation, including recreational and sporting activities for seniors.
Facilitate independent living by supporting meal deliveries and help with household chores, as well as nursing and home care.
LGBTIQ+ and self determination
Ban conversion therapies similar to other EU member states and endorse the European Citizen Initiative calling for a EU wide ban.
Move (back) to three separate levels of officialised relationships: cohabitation, civil union similar to the French PACS) and marriage, all of which open to partnerships of any sex.
Include sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics as categories for hate crime and hate speech.
Move to legal gender recognition by self-determination instead of medical or psychological assessment following the EU recommendation and provide the option “other” on all official documents aside from “male” and “female”.
Limit unnecessary medical interventions on intersex minors.
Citizens with handicaps
Identify the population with handicaps and type of handicaps in the next census, as currently there isn’t any info available. Likewise begin recording discriminations against citizens with handicaps for better assessing areas of principal concern.
Improve Government ICT accessibility for citizens with disabilities and provide more accessibility courses for citizens with handicaps.
Make a plan for all public transport and public buildings to be easily accessible and secure for handicapped and the elderly, from trains to bicycle lanes.
Begin working toward meeting the unmet obligations laid out in the ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and install an independent authority for its monitoring.
(version 2025-02)