Gender Equality Duty
General Duties
The Equality Act 2006 places a general duty on public authorities, including local authorities, to have due regard for the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment when carrying out its functions; and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
This general duty came into force on 6 April 2007. Did you meet the duty and achieve the following?
Specific Duties
As well as the general duty, authorities will have to comply with a series of ‘specific duties’:
- Prepare and publish a gender equality scheme by 30 April 2007, showing how it will meet its general and specific duties and setting out its gender equality objectives.
- Consider the need to include objectives to address the causes of any gender pay gap.
- Gather and use information on how the authority's policies and practices affect gender equality in the workforce and in the delivery of services.
- Consult stakeholders (ie employees, service users and others, including trade unions) and take account of relevant information in order to determine our gender equality objectives.
- Assess the impact of its current and proposed policies and practices on gender equality.
- Implement the actions set out in its scheme within three years, unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so.
- Report against the scheme every year and review the scheme at least every three years.
Resources
What is the Gender Equality Duty
Overview of the Duty
First Steps
Gathering and Using Information
Consulting Stakeholders
Developing Objectives and a Scheme
Meeting the Duty in Employment
Draft Code of Practice for England and Wales