Gender
Recent Developments in Equality and Diversity Legislation
Please click on the links on the right for relevant information and links.
Current sex equality law (e.g. the Sex Discrimination Act, 1975) does not prevent discrimination taking place, it gives individuals the right to challenge discrimination only after it has happened.
Recent Office for National Statistics figures show that the pay gap between men and women remains at 17.1% for full-time workers and 38.4% for those working part-time. For evidence on the gender gap and ideas for addressing it, please see:
- Equality Bill (pdf; 425kb) received Royal Assent on 16th February 2006. It will introduce a duty on public authorities to promote gender equality and work to eliminate sex discrimination and harassment and prohibit gender discrimination in the exercise of public functions.
- The Gender Equality Duty: EOC is a new statutory obligation: service providers and public sector employers will have to design policy, services and employment with the different needs of women and men in mind, involving their employees and service users.
- The requirement to produce a Code of Practice, Women and Equality (pdf; 2mb) has been introduced through an amendment of the Sex Discrimination Act. The new duty places the responsibility on public bodies to demonstrate that they treat men and women fairly and are taking active steps to promote gender equality. It required listed public authorities, including higher education institutions to produce a Gender Equality Scheme by 30 April 2007. A statutory Gender Equality Duty: Code of Practice for England and Wales is now available on the Equal Opportunities website.
It should generate:
- policy-making that is sensitive to gender differences,
- services that are tailored to meet the different needs of women and men,
- employment practices that challenge occupational segregation and remove the barriers to women reaching their potential
- procurement practice that promotes equality.
Those organisations which “get it right will reap the benefits in terms of improved customer satisfaction and staff productivity” (Equal Opportunities Commission website).
As for the Disability Acts, there will be both general and specific duties and the government has confirmed HEIs will be required to undertake the specific duties as well as the general ones. The 3 main components will oblige public authorities to:
- identify and implement specific gender equality goals;
- develop and publish an equal pay policy statement; and
- assess the impact of new policies and changes to services on men and women – allowing negative effects to be mitigated.
It is very likely that institutions will need to conduct an Equal Pay Review as part of their response to this duty and that they will need to produce a Gender Equality Statement.
