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CHAPTER 2 - SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO GENDER EQUALITY
Background
2.1 Our work on gender equality sits squarely within the context of our Equality Strategy and our commitment to mainstreaming, underpinned by dialogue and communication, developing research and statistics, and awareness raising. By providing a clear framework for action, the gender equality duty will help to drive mainstreaming, increase the pace of delivery on the work already in progress and make improvements in the lives of men and women in Scotland
2.2 Our approach to gender equality includes transgender equality, and throughout this scheme when we refer to women and men, this does, of course, include transgender women and men. Although equality for transgender people has to date been taken forward by groups focusing on sexual orientation, we recognise that this is an issue of gender equality and not sexual orientation.
Mainstreaming equality
2.3 Since 2000 the Government has been pushing forward activities to embed equality into all its activities. Significant progress has been made in legislation, policies and practices, data collection, research and information, in the empowerment of and dialogue with communities and equality groups and in raising awareness more broadly. However, the Government has always acknowledged that mainstreaming equality takes time and that despite these advances there remains much to be done. Some examples of the progress that has been made are:
- equality issues, including gender, are incorporated into the Better Policy Making guidance available to staff;
- all Scottish Government bills must consider incorporating an equality clause and updated guidance on equalities is provided to bill teams;
- the Good Consultation Guidance includes coverage of equality;
- equalities is included in the guidance for public bodies on Best Value;
- business planning guidance for Government directorates highlights the need to consider equality issues; and
- the guidance on preparation of the Government's draft budget highlights the need for equality impact assessments.
2.4 A number of areas such as Health, Education and the Crown Office, have staff with specific responsibility for equality work and they have been instrumental in strengthening the equality work in those areas.
2.5 Further work on mainstreaming equality is reflected in the actions outlined in this scheme.
Consultation and communication
2.6 The duty sets a framework to help us deliver better dialogue and communication mechanisms and to go further to consult women and men in Scottish Government policy making. Since 2003 we have been supporting two national projects to develop networks and structures with women's organisations across Scotland. Our funding for organisations such as the Scottish Women's Convention and Engender helped us to reach and engage directly with women from different backgrounds and with different experiences. The gender equality duty gives an added focus to this work.
2.7 We also have direct links and close working relations with key service providers and we have been keen to engage their experience of the differences and challenges of providing services which meet the needs of women and men and have valued their work with us.
2.8 Several directorates have fostered strong links with grassroots groups for women and men and will be seeking to maintain and broaden these links in the period ahead.
Developing research and statistics
2.9 Policy making based on evidence has been the approach which the Government has adopted for some time. To assist with the mainstreaming of gender equality into policy making we know that we need to further develop the information base in relation to gender. In preparing our scheme we have drawn on the available evidence. We have been able to draw on publications such as the Social Focus on Women and Men 2002 and the High Level Summary of Equality Statistics in November 2006. In March 2007 we also published A Gender Audit of Statistics: Comparing the Position of Women and Men in Scotland, which provides a review of statistics on gender differences and inequalities across a range of key areas of social and economic life in Scotland. This Gender Audit has informed the development of our gender equality scheme and will also be of use to other public bodies in Scotland. Our plans for developing this work further are discussed at chapter 9.
Audit and inspection
2.10 Whilst the Equality and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC) is currently the enforcement body in relation to the Gender Equality Duty, audit and inspection bodies and the Scottish Government recognise the importance of finding an appropriate framework for auditing for gender equality and equality more generally. To this end, an advisory group consisting of the Scottish Government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and a number of audit and inspection bodies (including Audit Scotland and Her Majesty's Inspectors of Education - HMIE) are considering how to best progress the equality agenda across the public sector by drawing on the powers of audit and inspection bodies. This work will be particularly important over the coming period as Ministers are expected to begin to consider proposals from fixed-life Action Groups. These have been looking at how the recommendations of the independent Crerar Review into Regulation, Audit, Inspection and Complaints Handling of Public Services in Scotland might be implemented.
Looking ahead
Cross Government work
2.11 The Scottish Government is a large and complex organisation. To ensure cohesion and consistency in our approach to gender equality a number of cross Government structures exist. These include the Equality Scheme Implementation Group ( ESIG) and an Analysts working group.
ESIG has been involved in considering the format of this revised scheme in light of the changes to the organisation of the Scottish Government following the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 2007.
Public Sector Equality Forum
2.12 The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to work with the EHRC, women and men and public authorities in Scotland to encourage and support the implementation of the gender equality duty. As part of this we plan to establish a Public Sector Equality Forum and will use this as a route to promote shared or joint approaches by public authorities. This Forum will be able to consider the issues arising from all three public equality duties.
Scottish Ministers duty
2.13 The specific duties set out in the Sex Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Order 2007 require Scottish Ministers to publish reports by 1 July 2010 that:
- set out the priority areas across the functions and activities of relevant Scottish authorities that Scottish Ministers have identified for the advancement of equality of opportunity between men and women in Scotland; and
- provide an overview on progress in those priority areas towards the advancement of equality of opportunity between women and men.
The Scottish Ministers' gender duty will be instrumental in helping to raise awareness across the public sector of persistent gender equality issues in Scotland and will help encourage and drive forward action to address these.
The Concordat with COSLA
2.14 The concordat agreed between the Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA) sets out the new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government and accepts that although the Scottish Government will set policy direction, it will stand back from micro-managing service delivery. Single Outcome Agreements are a major part of the concordat and free up local authorities and their partners to meet the varying local needs across Scotland. Local authorities are expected to set out their contribution to the National Outcomes, and National Outcome 7 states 'we have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society'.
2.15 The Government recognises that understanding and addressing inequalities will be key to ensuring we effectively deliver on all of the National Outcomes and the Government's overarching purpose - 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.
2.16 Joint Guidance produced by the Scottish Government, COSLA, the Improvement Service, the Society Of Local Authority Chief Executives and Audit Scotland was issued in February 2008. Under the section on scope, local authorities are advised to set out their duties in relation to equalities.
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