What are equality and diversity?
Equality/equalities
Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone can
participate and has the same opportunity to fulfil their
potential. Equality is backed by legislation designed to
address unfair discrimination based on membership of a particular
group. A more detailed list is provided in our strategy but
some of the Acts you may be most familiar with are: Race Relations
Act 1976, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Disability Discrimination
Act 1995. The duties encompassed in these acts are now brought
together under the Equality Act 2010 and have, in some areas, been
extended.
Key points:
- equality of outcome
- compliance with legislation
- 'owned' by experts
- risk management (of litigation)
Diversity
Diversity is about recognising that everyone is different in a
variety of visible and non-visible ways. It is about creating
a culture and practices that recognise, respect and value
difference. It is about harnessing this potential to create a
productive environment in which the equally diverse needs of the
customer/client can be met in a creative environment. It is
about generating a workforce that feels valued and respected
and has its potential fully utilised in order to meet
organisational goals. Diversity is not an 'initiative' or a
'project', it is an ongoing core aim and a core process.
Key points:
- recognising difference
- linking diversity to business goals
- diversity as 'mainstream' vision
- benefits of diversity are stressed