Gender Equality Scheme
South Shropshire District Council Gender Equality Scheme
The Council has a duty to promote equality of opportunity. The GES has been drafted to ensure that the Council fulfills its obligations in respect of gender equality. The Scheme is an accompanying document to the Council's Corporate Equalities Policy, Race Equality Scheme, and Disability Equality Scheme. Together they formalise the Council's commitment to promoting equality and diversity. Full Council approved the Gender Equality Scheme at their meeting on 26th April 2007 and noted the Action Plan pending its consideration by the Corporate Equalities Group.
From April 2007 the Gender Equality Duty places a requirement on public authorities to be proactive and to promote gender equality within their service delivery and employment. It is recognised that public authorities can make an enormous contribution towards removing the barriers to equal opportunities that exist in society. The duty requires that every public authority shall, in carrying out its functions, have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, taking active steps to comply with both the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act
- Take active steps to promote equality of opportunity between men and women when carrying out their functions and activities
In addition, public bodies are required to comply with the following specific duties:
- To produce and publish a Gender Equality Scheme (GES) identifying Gender Equality goals and actions to meet those goals;
- To consult with employees and stakeholders in the development of the GES;
- Monitor and review progress. The Scheme will need to be reviewed every three years;
- To publish an annual report on progress with the action plan;
- To develop and publish an equal pay policy including measures to address promotion, development and occupational segregation; and
- To conduct and publish gender impact assessments of all legislation and major policy developments and publish their criteria for conducting such assessments.
The Act also makes provisions on prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in employment and the provision of goods, services, facilities, use and disposal of premises and the exercise of public functions.
Transsexual people are protected from discrimination and harassment on the grounds of gender reassignment in employment and vocational training under existing sex discrimination legislation. Public authorities are legally required to take this into account when addressing that part of the Gender Equality Duty, which requires the elimination of unlawful discrimination and harassment.
Gender reassignment discrimination and harassment in access to goods and services will be unlawful from December 2007 under the European Goods and Services Directive. Public authorities will also be legally required to take this into account under the duty.
If you would like to comment on or request further information about the Council's Gender Equality Scheme, Action Plan or associated Equalities policies, or if you would like a copy of the documents on a different language or format, please contact:
Corporate Policy Unit
South Shropshire District Council
Stone House
Corve Street
LUDLOW
SY8 1DG
Tel: 01584 813217
Fax: 01584 813125
Email: corporatepolicyunit@southshropshire.gov.uk
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