A Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament, creating a Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights.
Source: Scottish Commissioner for Human Rights Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum
Date: 2006-Nov
A report by a committee of MSPs examined the barriers to participation faced by disabled people, focusing on the issues of work, further and higher education, and leisure. 42 per cent of disabled households had an income of less than £10,000 per year; fewer than half of all disabled people were in work; and 58 per cent had no qualifications.
Source: Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities, 2nd Report 2006, SP Paper 677, Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
The report of an official working group made recommendations for delivering greater equality for disabled people in Scotland.
Source: Sally Witcher et al., Report of the Disability Working Group, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Nov
A research report examined the ways in which three jurisdictions - Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and Scotland - provided services to minority ethnic groups; and how each could improve its services by learning from its nearest neighbours. As ethnic diversity continued to grow, the challenge would be to ensure that migrants and existing minority ethnic groups were fully included in key services, such as health, employment, education, policing, and housing.
Source: Philip Watt and Fiona McGaughey (eds.), Improving Government Service Delivery to Minority Ethnic Groups, National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (+353 01 858 8000)
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2006-Oct
An article examined the relationship between religion, education, and social mobility in Scotland. In younger cohorts, there was no religious difference in social status, whereas in older cohorts Catholics were generally of lower status than Protestants and the non-religious.
Source: Lindsay Paterson and Cristina Iannelli, 'Religion, social mobility and education in Scotland', British Journal of Sociology, Volume 57 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Sep
The sex equality watchdog in Scotland said that little or no progress had been made since 2004 in tackling sex segregation in apprenticeships.
Source: Occupational Segregation in Scotland: Progress report, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2006-Aug
An article examined Welsh and Scottish devolution as a testbed for the development of multicultural citizenship and race equality.
Source: Charlotte Williams and Philomena De Lima, 'Devolution, multicultural citizenship and race equality: from laissez-faire to nationally responsible policies', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A study examined how young people from different minority ethnic groups experienced growing up in Scotland. Although most minority ethnic young people, like their white peers, chose to attend further or higher education after leaving secondary school, their choice of courses was less varied and concentrated primarily around the medical sciences. Family and community expectations also featured more in the decision-making process.
Source: Clare Cassidy, Rory O Connor and Nike Dorrer, Young People s Experience of Transition to Adulthood: A study of minority ethnic and white young people, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2006-Jul
A watchdog report set out a series of action points for improving the lives of disabled people in Scotland.
Source: Putting Disability at the Heart of Public Policy in Scotland: Priorities for action, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Links: Report | SAMH statement
Date: 2006-Jul
A report said that progress had been made in Scotland to make the lives of disabled people better: but they still faced numerous barriers in realizing equal opportunities.
Source: Disability in Scotland 2005 2020: A state of the nation report, Scottish Council Foundation (0131 225 4709)
Date: 2006-Jun
A study found that Scottish public attitudes towards asylum seekers in Scotland were more tolerant than those in England.
Source: Miranda Lewis, Warm Welcome: Understanding attitudes to asylum seekers in Scotland, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: Report | IPPR press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The sex equality watchdog in Scotland said that the skills and talent of minority ethnic women were going to waste in Scotland s labour market.
Source: Moving on Up? Visible minority ethnic women at work, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A report explored and assessed a wide range of potential improvements to public transport for disabled people in Scotland. Greater equality of travel opportunity would require a range of co-ordinated schemes and initiatives tailored to both the local physical environment, the needs of specific people in any local area, and dovetailing with existing transport opportunities. All modes of transport needed to be included, as did longer journeys that spanned more than one local area.
Source: Pat MacLeod, Anna Dudleston, Philip Barham and Tom Rye, Improved Public Transport for Disabled People, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2006-May
The sex equality watchdog published a report summarizing statistical information about women and men in Scotland. It focused on changes since the 1970s for women and men in terms of education, employment, and public life.
Source: Facts About Women & Men in Scotland 2006, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-May
An article examined the second devolved elections in Scotland and Wales (in 2003) from the perspective of women's political representation; and whether the increase in descriptive representation had led to improved substantive representation of women by better reflecting their diverse interests and concerns.
Source: Fiona Mackay, 'Women's representation in Wales and Scotland', Contemporary Wales, Volume 17 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
A report examined policy and practice relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people at local authority level in Scotland.
Source: Andrew Fyfe, Russell Fleming and Steven Reid, Sexual Orientation Research Phase 3 A Stocktake of Local Authority Policy and Practice, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2006-Feb
The Scottish Executive published a strategy for tackling sectarianism.
Source: Sectarianism: Action plan on tackling sectarianism in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Action plan | SE press release
Date: 2006-Jan
