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SECTION FIVE: Progressing the Equality Strategy: Promoting Equal Opportunities
People can act in ways that offend or hurt, and institutions can have practices which discriminate against particular groups. These may often be unwitting or occur out of ignorance. So programmes and activities which raise awareness and promote equality and good practice are important. This is not to deny that there is blatant and intentional racism, sexism, sectarianism, ageism, homophobia and discrimination against people with disabilities which must be challenged unreservedly. It is to acknowledge that it is possible to educate and inform people so that they might change their views, attitudes and behaviours.
Update on commitments in the Equality Strategy:
Action | Completion date | Outcome | Progress |
Discuss with partners proposals for raising public awareness | By summer 2001 | Outline proposals for raising public awareness | Achieved.
Discussed with CRE and race equality interests development of anti-racism campaign.
Launched close the gap initiative in March 2001 |
Develop programme of public awareness activity | Over 2002-03 | Better understanding of equality | On track.
Launched anti-racism campaign September 2002.
Raising awareness on disability through European Year of Disabled People.
Action 2 of EQUAL project on closing the pay gap |
Discuss with partners models for the effective sharing of good practice | Spring 2002 | Better use of resources and application of good equality practice | Ongoing dialogue through Equality
Co-ordinating Group |
Anti-Racism Campaign
As part of the process of raising awareness, the Scottish Executive launched its anti-racism campaign in September 2002 under the banner of 'One Scotland: Many Cultures'. The campaign has several layers to it. First, a successful high profile media campaign to raise the issue in the Scottish conscience. A five-week programme of cinema, television and radio adverts was run alongside campaign messages on billboards and buses throughout Scotland. The approach of the campaign was informed by detailed research and testing undertaken during 2001 and 2002. The media dimension to the campaign had a high impact and this will be built upon in the coming period.
Secondly, the continuation and development of sustained race equality work within the Executive and beyond as identified in the Race Equality Schemes published in November 2002.
Thirdly, the development of specific programmes of work with external bodies engaged in anti-racist work. For example, working with the Scottish Football Association and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) around 'Show Racism the Red Card' campaign. Providing funding for Children in Scotland and the CRE Equal Futures project with young people and developing joint work with BEMIS and the STUC Black Workers Committee'.
The Executive has a key role in providing leadership in this sensitive area. The Executive acknowledges, however, that it must also listen to the views of those with direct experience of discrimination and racism and those with expertise in the field.
RaceActionNet
The Scottish Executive is contributing to RaceActionNet, on-line directory providing contacts, information and good practice guidance to organisations in combating racial incidents, racial harassment and racist crime.
"Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland exists to challenge discrimination and to champion equality - we know that the best way to achieve real and lasting gender equality is by working in partnership with others dedicated to the same goal. We strongly commend the Scottish Executive for their sustained effort in mainstreaming equality issues into their administrative and policy-making structures. The consultative ethos they have created with the non-governmental and grassroot sectors in Scotland makes a real difference - everyone is able to play their part in shaping the future of equality". The Scottish Executive support our work in a number of significant ways. They have dedicated themselves to tackling unequal pay and are key partners in the Close the Gap project. They have mainstreamed gender equality into structural budgets into key legislation such as the Standards in Schools (Scotland) Act. A robust start has been made and EOC Scotland look forward to continuing working in partnership with the Executive and making Scotland a better place in which to live and work".
Rowena Arshad OBE, EOC Scotland Commissioner |
Close the Gap Initiative
The pay gap between men and women in Scotland in 2001 was 17% and this widens for part-time workers, older workers and those working in particular sectors.
The gender pay gap in Scotland in 2001 for hourly earnings was 17%. For weekly earnings it was 24%. The gender pay gap (hourly earnings) varies between different occupations. Some examples are given below: |
Clerical and secretarial 5%
Teaching 11%
Legal, business, financial and other professional 13%
Corporate managers and administrators 24% | Industrial plant and machine operators 25%
Personal and protective services 28%
Craft 29%
Sales 34% |
The Scottish Executive is determined to help close the gap. Whilst legislation on equal pay is reserved, the Scottish Executive can take measures to encourage equal pay and ensure that the legislation is observed.
To this end, the Scottish Executive in partnership with the Equal Opportunities Commission, Fair Play, Scottish Trade Union Congress, CBI Scotland, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, ACAS, Citizens Advice Scotland, Scottish Federation of Small Businesses, Scottish Council for Development of Industry, Scottish Low Pay Unit, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Island Enterprise launched the Close the Gap campaign in March 2001 to raise awareness about the pay gap between men and women in Scotland and encourage activity to close the gap.
EQUAL is a European Social Fund Community Initiative that aims to promote new ways of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in relation to the labour market, through transnational co-operation. One of the themes (Theme H) fits closely with the Close the Gap Initiative. It is targeted at reducing gender gaps and supporting job desegregation. The Scottish Executive in partnership with various organisations secured match funding over 3 years to the value of nearly £500,000 to take forward new initiatives to target the pay gap between men and women. The project aims to raise awareness of, and develop tools to tackle, the pay gap, by working with two main target groups - those with the responsibility and power to address the pay gap and those directly affected by it. The project covers the whole of Scotland reflecting the diversity of its core members. All Development Partnerships must also have a least one transnational partner - the Scottish partners are in Sweden and the Czech Republic.
Action 1
The first year of the project Action 1 was aimed at raising awareness amongst employers, employees, trade unions and advocacy agencies of why the pay gap exists and how to develop policies to close it. During Action 1 the first Close the Gap conference was held on 22 March 2002 in Edinburgh aimed to raise awareness of the Close the Gap Development Partnership and attract potential additional partners for Action 2. A full-time co-ordinator was appointed.
Action 2
Over the next 3 years the Close the Gap Development Partnership will carry out activities under Action 2. The Scottish Executive and EOC Scotland hosted a joint conference on 24 September in Edinburgh aimed at raising the issue in the business community and beyond. The Conference was addressed by a range of experts including Denise Kingmill CBE, author of the report A Review of Women's Employment and Pay. The conference heard keynote addresses from Margaret Curran, Minister for Social Justice, and Carwyn Jones, Minister for Open Government and Equal Opportunities in the National Assembly for Wales.
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