A report questioned whether the (outgoing) watchdog for racial equality had itself complied with statutory race equality duties, such as the obligation to carry out race equality impact assessments of its own work and policies.
Source: Rupert Harwood, Race Back from Equality: Has the CRE been breaching race equality law and has race equality law been working?, Public Interest Research Unit (01559 370395)
Links: Report | PIRU press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A report said that ethnic minority women faced too many barriers to becoming local councillors. The councillor role continued to be treated as a pastime for those with spare time and money. Local political parties' commitment to diversity remained weak, and potential candidates among ethnic minority women faced poor support and even discrimination from parties.
Source: Routes to Power, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598) and Government Equalities Office
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release | DWP press release
Date: 2007-Oct
The race equality watchdog said (in its final report before being merged into a new equal rights body) that divisions between ethnic groups were deeper than ever, and were fuelling religious and political extremism. It also said that 15 government departments were not meeting their legal obligations on tackling race discrimination.
Source: A Lot Done, A Lot To Do: Our vision for an integrated Britain, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Report | CRE press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | BBC report | Personnel Today report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Sep
The race equality watchdog said that organizations involved in regeneration projects in England, Scotland and Wales often failed to consider which groups would benefit, and what the impact would be on community relations. New buildings and public spaces should allow for interaction between different communities: but often schemes created further divisions between these groups.
Source: Regeneration and the Race Equality Duty: Report of a formal investigation in England, Scotland and Wales, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Report | Summary | CRE press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Sep
An independent report said that black boys and young black men faced serious challenges in every sector of society. They were less likely to do well at school than their peers, more likely to be unemployed, and much more likely to became involved in the criminal justice system. Black teenagers urgently needed a new generation of role models – involving a shift of focus from rap stars, sports personalities, and celebrities, to successful businessmen, lawyers, and doctors..
Source: REACH Group, REACH: An independent report to government on raising the aspirations and attainment of black boys and young black men, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | NCH press release | CDF press release | Compass press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Aug
An official report outlined the progress that was being made towards achieving racial equality in the key public services, and in building community cohesion.
Source: Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society: Two years on – A progress report on the government?s strategy for race equality and community cohesion, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Annex | DCLG press release
Date: 2007-Aug
A report said that the race equality watchdog should work towards the development of indicators of 'bonding' and 'bridging' social capital at individual and community level.
Source: Adam Coutts, Pedro Ramos Pinto, Ben Cave and Ichiro Kawachi, Social Capital Indicators in the UK, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Date: 2007-Jul
The sex equality watchdog in Wales examined the career hopes and work experiences of ethnic minority girls and women in Wales. It highlighted a 'worrying and unacceptable' gap between ambition and reality.
Source: I Want to Fulfil My Dream, Equal Opportunities Commission Wales (029 2034 3552)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report for the race equality watchdog examined participation in local strategic partnerships by people from ethnic minorities, and the extent to which Neighbourhood Renewal Fund money was distributed to people from ethnic minorities. It concluded that the LSP performance management framework was not adequate for assessing these issues.
Source: Black Training and Enterprise Group, Participation and Local Strategic Partnerships, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Date: 2007-Jun
The sex equality watchdog in Scotland said that visible ethnic minority women were three times more likely to be unemployed than white women. Although minority ethnic girls were the highest achieving group in school, minority ethnic women were likely to be clustered in a narrower range of occupations than white women, and to be working for less pay.
Source: Moving On Up? The Way Forward, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2007-May
Two linked studies examined the links between poverty and ethnicity. A literature review identified stark differences in rates of poverty according to ethnic group. A separate study analyzed how the rates of income poverty differed between ethnic groups, and the reasons for some of these differences.
Source: Lucinda Platt, Poverty and Ethnicity in the UK, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500) | Peter Kenway and Guy Palmer, Poverty among Ethnic Groups: How and why does it differ?, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (1) | Findings (1) | Report (2) | Findings (2) | JRF press release | EOC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Apr