A report said that while one third of Scotland's public bodies were leading the way with focused action on the duty to promote race equality, just under a third had given weak 'off-the peg' responses.
Source: Towards Racial Equality in Scotland: Are public authorities meeting the duty to promote race equality?, Commission for Racial Equality (020 7939 0000)
Links: Summary (pdf) | CRE press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A progress report was published on efforts to improve healthcare for ethnic minorities in Scotland.
Source: Fair Enough? Fair For All Progress Report: Analysis of race equality schemes and fair for all action plans, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Briefing
Date: 2003-Nov
A official taskgroup report described the continuing inequalities experienced by women in Scotland, and set out recommendations in key areas - including employment and pay, childcare and other forms of caring, poverty and exclusion, violence, influence and decision-making. Two background papers were also published.
Source: Strategic Group on Women, Improving the Position of Women in Scotland: Agenda for action, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400) | Esther Breitenbach, Statutory Duties to Promote Equal Opportunities and Evidence of Their Impact, Scottish Executive | Esther Breitenbach, Summary and Discussion of Research Reviews on Women's and Gender Issues in Scotland, Scottish Executive
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Breitenback paper (1) (pdf) | Breitenback paper (2) (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
Research examined the public appointments process in Scotland in relation to diversity, and made recommendations for improving the process to help produce a more diverse range of candidates.
Source: Reid Howie Associates Ltd, Diversity in the Public Appointments Process in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary
Date: 2003-Oct
A research report identified the support needed by local health services in Scotland to better meet the needs of individuals from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
Source: Towards a Healthier LGBT Scotland, INCLUSION Project (Stonewall Scotland/Scottish Executive Health Department) (0141 204 0746)
Links: Report (pdf) | Citizenship 21 press release
Date: 2003-Oct
Comprehensive research was published on the standard of refuges for women and children fleeing domestic abuse in Scotland. Key recommendations included that accommodation should focus on purpose-built cluster refuges containing single-occupancy flats, communal areas and children's rooms; secure, dispersed flats should be available in every area, and shared hostel-style refuges should be phased out; women's aid groups should be more pro-active in their support work with workers based on site in shared and cluster refuges; and children's support workers should be on hand to provide a daily service to those in refuge.
Source: Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Emily Lynch and Robina Goodlad, Refuges for Women, Children and Young People in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Oct
The Scottish Executive published a strategy for the eradication of domestic abuse. The strategy concentrated on preventative measures, including working with and challenging men who used violence, strategies for the workplace, better training for professional workers, raising public awareness, and greater use of education.
Source: Preventing Domestic Abuse: National strategy, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Sep
A survey examined public attitudes towards discrimination. Most people (68 per cent) said that Scotland should do all that it could to get rid of all kinds of prejudice, while 26 per cent said there was sometimes good reason to be prejudiced. 56 per cent said there was a great deal of prejudice in Scotland against people from different racial or ethnic backgrounds, while 49 per cent said the same about gay men and lesbians, 31 per cent about disabled people, and 20 per cent about women. Discriminatory attitudes were least likely to be expressed by those who were educationally well qualified, and most likely to be expressed by those aged 65 and over.
Source: Catherine Bromley and John Curtice, Attitudes to Discrimination in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | Summary | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2003-Sep
A study examined the aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland for housing, and their actual experiences. Young disabled people had similar aspirations to their non-disabled peers. Most wanted to leave the parental home and most did not regard their first house as a home for life. They expected eventually to form a new household with a partner and/or children and to seek suitable housing.
Source: Jo Dean, Unaddressed: Housing aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 973
Date: 2003-Sep
Researchers explored the role of gender impact assessment in the Scottish budgetary process, and sought to develop tools to enable equality issues to be 'mainstreamed' into the process.
Source: Ailsa McKay and Rona Fitzgerald, Exploring the Role of Gender Impact Assessment in the Scottish Budgetary Process, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report (with SE response) (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
Official research found that more needed to be done to improve diversity and equality in local authorities in England. There were examples of good practice, but the overall picture was 'patchy'. Equality and diversity were often seen in terms of ethnic minorities and people with physical disabilities, rather than wider issues such as gender, sexuality and part-time workers. There was a lack of a 'joined-up' approach to handling equality and diversity issues; a focus on employment issues rather than the wider agenda; and a focus on process rather than outcomes.
Source: Office for Public Management, Equality and Diversity in Local Government in England, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | Office for Public Management, Equality and Diversity in Local Government in England: Literature review, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Literature review (pdf) | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Jul
The Scottish Executive published (for consultation) a working group report on ways to improve the equipment and adaptations provided in Scotland for disabled and older people.
Source: Equipped for Inclusion: Report of the Strategy Forum - Equipment and adaptations, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Jun
The Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church (part of the Anglican Church) voted in principle to approve the ordination of women bishops.
Source: Press release 12.6.03, Scottish Episcopal Church (0131 225 6357)
Links: SEC press release
Date: 2003-Jun
The police inspectorate published a report on police race relations in Scotland, with 24 recommendations to chief constables - including ensuring proper attention to community cohesion and stability across Scotland.
Source: HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Pride and Prejudice: Review of police race relations in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Jun
A report addressed the issue of how mainstreaming equal opportunities could be instigated and sustained in the work of government and public bodies in Scotland.
Source: Fiona Mackay and Kate Bilton, Learning from Experience: Lessons in mainstreaming equal opportunities, Scottish Executive, available from Institute of Governance/University of Edinburgh (0131 650 2456)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-May
A report, based on the experiences of disabled people in Scotland, called for more and better advice services for disabled people. It said that 97 per cent of people found the application forms for disability living allowance difficult to complete.
Source: The Struggle for Disability Living Allowance, Disability Agenda Scotland, available from Scottish Association for Mental Health (0141 568 7000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
A report described the work of the Scottish Executive in implementing its equality strategy for women, racial and ethnic minorities and disabled people.
Source: Making Progress: Equality Annual Report, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Feb
A report examined the distinctive health needs of ethnic minority communities in Scotland.
Source: Fair for All, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers examined support services for asylum seekers in Scotland.
Source: Aileen Barclay, Alison Bowes, Iain Ferguson, Duncan Sim and Maggie Valenti, Asylum Seekers in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Findings (pdf) | Findings
Date: 2003-Feb
