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Home | Integrating Equality | Equality Co-ordination

Equality Co-ordination

The Government wants to see opportunities for all, with everyone able to fulfil their potential, whatever their background. There is much to do if we are to remove the barriers that hold people back.

We aim to take a co-ordinated approach on equality while recognising and respecting the diversity of all members of society.

Key Facts

• Age: it is estimated that by 2011, 11.9 million people will be of pensionable age (taking account of the change in the retirement age for women), rising to 12.2 million by 2021.

• Disability: an estimated 8.6 million people report having a disability. The most severely disabled people in this group represent 4% of the population.

• Race: there are 2.8 million adults from an minority ethnic background in Britain.

• Religion: the largest religious groups in the UK are estimated as being Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish.

• Sexual Orientation: it is estimated that 5 to 7% of the population is gay, lesbian or bisexual.

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Ensuring Equality across Government

The Sex Discrimination and Equality Co-ordination Team is concerned with all aspects of equality: age, disability, gender, race, religion and sexual orientation, across the full spectrum of Government policy.

The team works with the other lead equality departments, developing policy on cross-cutting issues and seeking to identify policy-levers to progress the Government’s equality agenda through non-legislative means. The Sex Discrimination and Equality Co-ordination Team also supports the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Equality.

Role of the The Sex Discrimination and Equality Co-ordination Team

The DTI is taking forward the implementation of the EU Article 13 Employment Directive, which outlaws workplace discrimination on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, age and disability.

The Sex Discrimination and Equality Co-ordination Team is supported in this work by the Diversity and Equality Branch of DTI’s Employment Relations Directorate.

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Equality Policy across Government

Other departments responsible for areas of equality policy are:

• Age: Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) co-ordinates policy relating to older people, excluding Article 13. A dedicated Children & Young People’s Unit is located in the Department for Education & Skills

• Race: Home Office

• Religion: Home Office generally apart from the EU Employment Directive

• Disability: Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) co-ordinates.

• Gender: Women & Equality Unit (WEU) co-ordinates women’s issues and is responsible for the Sex Discrimination Act.

• Sexual Orientation: Women & Equality Unit co-ordinates.

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Topic resources

Equality and Diversity:
Making it Happen
consultation
Download documents

Useful websites

Human Rights Unit, Department for Constitutional Affairs

House of Commons, Joint Committee on Human Rights

DTI Equality Unit

Home Office Equality Unit

Department of Work & Pensions Equality Unit