Equalities Review
Women with young children under 11 are the most discriminated against at work, according to a report by the Equalities Review entitled “Fairness and Freedom”. The review panel (set up by the Prime Minister) say that despite the significant progress achieved over the past 60 years, some kinds of inequality are set to remain at intolerable levels.
It warns that unless efforts are drastically stepped up, even the great-great-grandchildren of current legislators will not see a Parliament with equal numbers of men and women or substantial numbers of ethnic minority MPs. At the current rate it could take until 2085 to close the pay gap between men and women; until 2045 for Black Caribbean 11 year olds to close the attainment gap in English and Maths; and on current trends the employment penalty facing disabled people may never be eliminated.
The report recommends ten steps to greater equality, including:
- a new framework to measure progress towards equality, including an ‘Equalities Scorecard’ which employers, public service providers and others can use to get a true picture of equality gaps
- a new, simpler but broader positive duty for public sector bodies to tackle inequality - both as service providers and as employers
- a simpler legislative framework which will enable groups as well as individuals to take action
- new flexibility for employers to use positive action (though the report does not argue for positive discrimination)
- a more sophisticated and proportionate enforcement regime, overseen by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) which will come into operation in October 2007
- targeted action on persistent inequalities in the fields of early years and education, employment, health, and crime and criminal justice.
Conclusions were based on substantial new research and meetings and consultations with hundreds of people across England, Scotland and Wales.
To download the report, go to: www.theequalitiesreview.org.uk