The equality and human rights watchdog said that people from ethnic minorities had seen a marked increase in their rate of unemployment since the start of the economic recession in 2008. But older workers appeared to have been relatively sheltered from job losses, and women were still being less affected than men in terms of aggregate unemployment rates.
Source: Monitoring Update on the Impact of the Recession on Various Demographic Groups, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | EHRC press release
Date: 2009-Dec
The Equality Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to replace nine laws and more than 100 other measures with a single Act. All employers with more than 250 staff would be required to report on their gender pay gap from 2013, if sufficient progress on reporting had not already been made voluntarily. Public bodies with more than 150 employees would also be required to report on gender pay differentials, as well as providing other equality data including the number of black, Asian, and minority-ethnic workers. There would be a new duty on all public bodies to consider what action they could take to reduce socio-economic inequality when making strategic decisions about spending and services.
Source: Equality Bill, Government Equalities Office/TSO | Debate 2 December 2009, columns 1111-1233, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | GEO press release
Date: 2009-Dec
The Government Equalities Office published its autumn 2009 performance report, showing progress in achieving its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2009, Cm 7761, Government Equalities Office/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
A study examined the issue of diversity in relation to boards of directors in the private and public sectors. It mapped out existing practices aimed at increasing board diversity, and made recommendations for further action.
Source: Ruth Sealy, Elena Doldor and Susan Vinnicombe, Increasing Diversity on Public and Private Sector Boards: Part 2 – What is being done to improve diversity on boards and how effective is this?, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Date: 2009-Nov
The equality and human rights watchdog set out a 3-year plan to preserve the rights in the Human Rights Act and to protect and promote respect for human rights principles.
Source: Our Human Rights Strategy and Programme of Action 2009-2012, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Strategy | EHRC press release
Date: 2009-Nov
The Government Equalities Office published its annual report for 2008-09, showing its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2008-09, HC 874, Government Equalities Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Aug
A new book examined the relationships between cultural practice and the social divisions of class, gender, and ethnicity.
Source: Tony Bennett et al., Culture, Class, Distinction, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Aug
The government announced, following consultation, its intention to add a new clause to the Equality Bill that would be designed to protect people who experienced discrimination because of a combination of two characteristics.
Source: Press release 1 July 2009, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Links: GEO press release | Employers Forum on Disability press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-Jul
The equality and human rights watchdog published a three-year strategic plan setting out its priorities and work programmes to March 2012. The Commission set itself five strategic priorities: secure and implement an effective legislative and regulatory framework for equality and human rights; create a 'fairer Britain', with equal life-chances and access to services for all; build a society without prejudice, promote good relations, and foster a vibrant equality and human rights culture; promote understanding and awareness of rights and duties, and deliver timely advice and guidance to individuals and bodies; and build an authoritative and responsive organization.
Source: Our Strategic Plan 2009-2012, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Date: 2009-Jul
The equality and human rights watchdog published its first annual report and accounts, covering the period April 2006-March 2008.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 18 April 2006 – 31 March 2008, Equality and Human Rights Commission, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report examined how public policy could support and engage with men and boys effectively, and outlined practical proposals for reform. A more sophisticated public debate was needed about masculinity issues, going beyond stereotypes of men as either oppressors or victims, 'in control' or 'in crisis'. Alongside efforts to improve the position and status of women, public policy needed to respond urgently to the problems that men and boys created, and the problems that they experienced.
Source: Sandy Ruxton, Man Made: Men, masculinities and equality in public policy, Coalition on Men and Boys (info@comab.org.uk)
Links: Report | Summary | Fatherhood Institute press release
Date: 2009-Jul
The equality and human rights watchdog said that Jobcentre Plus was not carrying out sufficient 'diversity assessments' when recruiting or providing other services, and failed to consult with its clients from different minority backgrounds to check whether it was meeting their needs.
Source: Public Sector Duty Assessment of the Department for Work and Pensions Through Jobcentre Plus, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Report | Personnel Today report | People Management report
Date: 2009-Jul
The equality and human rights watchdog published a new framework for monitoring progress towards equality and human rights. The framework was designed to help monitor how people were doing, how they were treated by others, and the level of choice and control they had in various aspects of their lives. The ten areas of life covered were: life; health; physical security; legal security; education and learning; standard of living; productive and valued activities; individual, family, and social life; identity, expression, and self-respect; and participation, influence, and voice.
Source: Equality Measurement Framework, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report examined whether the aspirations behind the Equality Bill – the positive promotion of equality, including in areas of socio-economic difference – were likely to be met by the measures actually enshrined in the Bill.
Source: Sharon Smee and Katherine Rake, The Equality Bill: Defining a new approach or business as usual?, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jul
A government-commissioned report described a mapping exercise undertaken to provide baseline information about equality and diversity kite marks, standards, benchmarks, indices, toolkits, schemes, networks, and awards produced by commercial and public organizations operating in Great Britain. It also identified the potential for public sector spending to influence the commitment to equality in the private sector.
Source: Judith James and Michael Williams with Anne Essenhigh and Paul James, Towards Measures of Equality, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government began consultation on proposals for a new legal ban on age discrimination. It said that it would bring legislation into force in phases, starting with those sectors that were most ready to comply. It was expected that the legislation would be in force in all sectors, with the exception of health and social care, by 2012.
Source: Equality Bill: Making It Work – Ending Age Discrimination in Services and Public Functions, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Links: Consultation document | Impact assessment | Hansard | GEO press release | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined the impact of the economic recession on different demographic groups, as well as the lowest-qualified and most-deprived social groups. For young people, the lowest-qualified groups, and those living in deprived areas, the fall in the employment rate over the previous year had been higher than the fall in the overall rate. Men had been more adversely affected than women.
Source: Monitoring the Impact of the Recession on Various Demographic Groups, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235), Government Equalities Office, and Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | EHRC press release | EFD press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The government began consultation on its proposals for the new 'single equality duty', which would require public bodies to tackle discrimination and advance equality of opportunity, including reporting annually on their gender pay gap and considering using procurement to drive equality. A linked research report examined the costs and cost-effectiveness of the existing duties.
Source: Equality Bill: Making It Work – Policy proposals for specific duties – A consultation, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601) | Schneider-Ross Ltd, Equality Duties: Assessing the cost and cost effectiveness of the specific race, disability and gender equality duties, Government Equalities Office
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | GEO press release | Research report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published an action plan designed to increase the number of women, black/Asian/minority-ethnic people, and disabled people on the boards of public bodies.
Source: Public Appointments: Opening Doors – Increasing Diversity: A cross-government action plan, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601) and Cabinet Office
Links: Action plan | GEO press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined the specific equalities duties (relating to race, gender, and disability) that were considered by practitioners to be most effective in achieving change.
Source: Elizabeth Sclater, Making Practice Happen: Practitioners' views on the most effective specific equality duties, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
The government published a guide designed to help government departments meet their public sector duties in the areas of equality and diversity.
Source: Equality Guide: A guide to help government departments meet their public sector duties, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601) and Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Guide
Date: 2009-May
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined research evidence on pay gaps from 2000 onwards by gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, and age. It outlined the gaps in the research evidence, and drew out the implications for future research and data collection.
Source: Hilary Metcalf, Pay Gaps Across the Equality Strands: A review, Research Report 14, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
A study examined access to justice for vulnerable groups, focusing on black and minority-ethnic groups, Gypsies and Travellers, refugees and asylum-seekers, and individuals in a minority group on the basis of sexuality.
Source: Paul Mason, Nathan Hughes and Allan Norman with Rachel Hek, Basia Spalek and Nicola Ward, Access to Justice: A review of existing evidence of the experiences of minority groups based on ethnicity, identity and sexuality, Research Report 7/09, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
The Equality Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to replace nine laws and more than 100 other measures with a single Act. All employers with more than 250 staff would be required to report on their gender pay gap from 2013, if sufficient progress on reporting had not already been made voluntarily. Public bodies with more than 150 employees would also be required to report on gender pay differentials, as well as providing other equality data including the number of black, Asian, and minority-ethnic workers. There would be a new duty on all public bodies to consider what action they could take to reduce socio-economic inequality when making strategic decisions about spending and services.
Source: Equality Bill, Government Equalities Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 11 May 2009, columns 553-651, TSO
Links: Text of Bill (Volume 1) | Text of Bill (Volume 2) | Hansard | Community Care report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-May
A report examined the provision of legal advice and representation in England, Scotland, and Wales on equality and human rights legislation.
Source: John Borland et al., Responding to Discrimination: The geography and geometry of advice provision in England, Scotland and Wales, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
A think-tank report said that public service organizations should not use the economic downturn as a reason to reduce their commitment to equality of opportunity. Equalities policy was a 'strategic necessity' in developing high-quality public service delivery, particularly in leadership roles.
Source: Anna Turley, First Among Equals: Diversity in local government leadership and public appointments, New Local Government Network (020 7357 0051)
Links: NLGN press release
Date: 2009-Apr
The Equality Bill was published. The Bill was designed to replace nine laws and more than 100 other measures with a single Act. All employers with more than 250 staff would be required to report on their gender pay gap from 2013, if sufficient progress on reporting had not already been made voluntarily. Public bodies with more than 150 employees would also be required to report on gender pay differentials, as well as providing other equality data including the number of black, Asian, and minority-ethnic workers. There would be a new duty on all public bodies to consider what action they could take to reduce socio-economic inequality when making strategic decisions about spending and services. The government also published a discussion document seeking views on the implications of including in the Bill a provision to protect people from multiple discrimination: it said that in the light of the feedback received, it would decide whether protection from multiple discrimination should be introduced, and if so how.
Source: Equality Bill, Government Equalities Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | A Fairer Future: The Equality Bill and other action to make equality a reality, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601) | Equality Bill: Assessing the Impact of a Multiple Discrimination Provision, Government Equalities Office
Links: Text of Bill (Volume 1) | Text of Bill (Volume 2) | Report | Discussion document | Hansard | GEO press release | EDF press release | Fawcett Society press release | TUC press release | UNISON press release | CBI press release | YWCA press release | Christian Institute press release | THT press release | Help the Aged press release | EFA press release | Rethink press release | CRAE press release | NCT press release | CIPD press release | REC press release (1) | REC press release (2) | CIH press release | FT report (1) | FT report (2) | Telegraph report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3) | Guardian report (4) | Womensgrid report | BBC report | Personnel Today report (1) | Personnel Today report (2) | Personnel Today report (3) | Community Care report | People Management report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that it welcomed the government's intentions to simplify and streamline legislation across the different equality strands into a single Equality Bill, and said that this would make discrimination law compliance and understanding easier. However, it said that disability discrimination required a difference in approach compared to other equality law. It also said that the division of responsibility for equality issues within government departments was confusing, and risked undermining the effectiveness of any single Equality Act.
Source: The Equality Bill: How Disability Equality Fits Within a Single Equality Act, Third Report (Session 2008-09), HC 158, House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Apr
The government announced that it had decided to extend the prohibition against associative and perceptive direct discrimination and harassment to other strands and areas where this did not already apply. The Equality Bill would therefore prohibit direct discrimination and harassment based on association and perception in respect of race, sex, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and age, and in relation to both employment and areas beyond this, such as goods, facilities, and services.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 2 April 2009, columns 87WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Carers UK press release
Date: 2009-Apr
A new book examined the concepts of equal opportunities and diversity. These incorporated gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief, and age inequalities. For the future, the problems of separate and relative deprivation, and conflicting experiences and interests, needed to be tackled – both between and within different categories of disadvantage.
Source: Barbara Bagilhole, Understanding Equal Opportunities and Diversity: The social differentiations and intersections of inequality, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Apr
The equality and human rights watchdog published a three-year scheme (2009-2012) setting out how it intended to fulfil its legal obligations to promote equality in the areas of disability, gender, and race, while also addressing the other areas of equality that it covered – age, religion or belief, and sexual orientation, as well as human rights.
Source: Our Equality Scheme 2009 12: Evidence, actions, results, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235)
Links: Scheme
Date: 2009-Apr
A report for the equal rights watchdog set out a list of 'central and valuable capabilities' for children, and consolidated and revised the existing list for adults. The children's list included the capability to be alive; to live in physical security; to be healthy; to be knowledgeable, to understand and reason, and to have the skills to participate in society; and to enjoy a comfortable standard of living, with independence and security.
Source: Tania Burchardt and Polly Vizard, Developing a Framework for Measuring Equality: A list of substantive freedoms for adults and children, Research Report 18, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Apr
A report for the equal rights watchdog reviewed research and statistics relating specifically to Wales by race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, and religion. It focused on poverty and social exclusion, the economy and labour market, health and social care, education, housing, and public and political life.
Source: Victoria Winckler (ed.), Equality Issues in Wales: A research review, Research Report 11, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Mar
An article examined how distributional weights might be used to incorporate equality considerations into measures of public service output.
Source: Richard Jones and Andrew Rowlinson, 'Incorporating equality considerations into measures of public service output', Economic & Labour Market Review, March 2009, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article
Date: 2009-Mar
The equality and human rights watchdog published a report that identified case studies demonstrating how public bodies in Scotland were meeting the race equality duty, disability equality duty, and gender equality duty.
Source: Organisation and Social Development Consultants Ltd, Capturing the Gains of the Public Sector Duties, Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (0845 604 5510)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined patterns and trends in the educational and work-life experiences of several equality groups. Although education protected minority-ethnic groups, women, and disabled people against disadvantage in employment and income, these groups did not enjoy the full returns to education that might be expected.
Source: Yaojun Li, Fiona Devine and Anthony Heath, Equality Group Inequalities in Education, Employment and Earnings: Research review and analysis of trends over time, Research Report 10, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined what was known about patterns of work-life mobility for a number of key equality groups: women, ethnic minorities, and disabled people. In addition, it used new sequencing techniques to analyze panel survey data and demonstrate the complex patterns and range of processes that produced inequalities in work-life mobility.
Source: Anna Schroeder, Andrew Miles, Mike Savage, Susan Halford and Gindo Tampubolon, Mobility, Careers and Inequalities: A study of work-life mobility and the returns from education, Research Report 8, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined pay gaps and pay penalties by gender and ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and age, based upon secondary analysis of pay data in the Labour Force Survey. Gender pay gaps and penalties tended to persist, regardless of group. Most groups of minority-ethnic women and men (though not all) experienced pay gaps and pay penalties: but the variation across groups stood out. Disabled women and men experienced substantial pay gaps and pay penalties. Younger and older workers experienced pay gaps, but did not tend to suffer pay penalties. The findings on religion and sexual orientation were mixed. The higher qualified a person was, the less likely they were to suffer pay gaps and pay penalties, though this did not hold for every group.
Source: Simonetta Longhi and Lucinda Platt, Pay Gaps Across Equalities Areas, Research Report 9, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan
A report for the equal rights watchdog drew together existing knowledge on groups within the population who experienced disadvantage in life-chances. At school, girls did better than boys, disabled students' aspirations were no different from those of non-disabled students, and children from minority-ethnic communities generally performed better than other children once poverty was controlled for. In employment, however, women, disabled people, and people from minority-ethnic communities all earned less.
Source: Paul Johnson and Yulia Kossykh, Early Years, Life Chances and Equality: A literature review, Research Report 7, Equality and Human Rights Commission (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan