Developing a Gender Equality Scheme

Overview:

Within the majority of public (and certain private) sector organisations, there is now a statutory duty (under the Gender Equality Duty 2007) to positively promote gender equality. In summary, this involves:

• Taking steps to eliminate unlawful gender discrimination or harassment
• Realigning policies procedures and services to take account of the differing needs of both men and women (this includes the requirement to consult with employees / service users and the collection / monitoring of equality data)
• Producing a plan of action (known as a Gender Equality Scheme) detailing how you will meet your statutory requirements within this area via measurable Gender Equality Goals.

In the first instance, developing such a scheme can prove to be daunting task and as the scheme could be the subject of future scrutiny (as part of audit and assessment and by members of the public) it is important that your scheme is developed comprehensively and meets certain requirements - both technically and legislatively. McKenzies have comprehensive experience of both developing Gender Equality Schemes on behalf of our partner organisations and providing guidance for organisations wishing to develop the schemes for themselves. We can provide consultation, training and guidance in the following areas.