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CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION
11.1 This report has highlighted the work undertaken by the Scottish Government over the last year towards the fulfilment of our gender equality scheme objectives. As the report has shown, while we have made good progress in taking forward some of the actions set out in our Scheme, we recognise that, due to the changed context in which the Scheme is being delivered, some areas have not been progressed within the timescales anticipated in its development.
Revision of gender equality scheme
11.2 As we set out in the introduction, as a result of the elections in May 2007, we have a new Government with a new approach. Ministers have set out the following overarching purpose and five strategic objectives for Government.
Purpose
11.3 To focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.
Strategic Objectives
- Wealthier and Fairer - Enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth.
- Healthier - Help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care.
- Safer and Stronger - Help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer places to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life.
- Smarter - Expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements.
- Greener - Improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it.
11.4 Following the findings of the Taking Stock Review of the Scottish Executive: Fit for the Future and to support Ministers to deliver their objectives, the structure of the Government as an organisation has changed. We are now no longer made up of Departments but instead structured under Directorates and Government Agencies.
11.5 Furthermore on 14 November 2007, the Scottish Government published its budget proposals and its newly developed National Performance Framework (set out in chapter 8 of the Scottish Budget Spending Review 2007 document). The National Performance Framework sets out high level targets, national outcomes, including "we have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society", and national indicators and targets for Government. It also indicated a significant change in delivery with the forging of a radical agreement with local government.
11.6 We know that we cannot deliver on the Strategic Objectives and on our targets and outcomes if we do not understand or take into account the different needs of different groups in Scotland. We have therefore committed where possible to analyse by equality group the data collected to support the national performance framework.
11.7 These developments impact on the structure and content of our scheme and although we had indicated in our original scheme that we would revise it in the light of the elections by the end of 2007, the nature and timing of these changes means that we will now publish a revised scheme by end of May 2008. We will also take account in our revision the feedback on our scheme that we have received from the Equal Opportunities Commission and others.
11.8 We know that there is still much that needs to be done and the Scottish Government is committed to working with women's and men's organisations, the public, private and third sectors as well as the Equality and Human Rights Commission to challenge the barriers, prejudice and discrimination that prevent gender equality in Scotland.
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