Commission's new programme of work focuses on protecting people most at risk
2 Apr 2014 02:55 PM
The Equality and Human
Rights Commission has today set out a programme of work to tackle entrenched
inequalities and protect the human rights of everyone in Britain, including
people in some of the most vulnerable situations across England, Scotland and
Wales.
The Commission’s Business
Plan for 2014/15 sets out a range of projects it will undertake over the next
year. Particular areas include:
• Safeguarding people
with mental health conditions in State detention.
• Investigating concerns about possible unsafe working environments,
discrimination, non-payment of wages and forced labour in the cleaning
sector.
• Ensuring job adverts do not discriminate against groups of workers,
for example by targeting those of a particular nationality.
• Following up recent concerns about failures leading to poor care
and risks to patient safety, by working to raise levels of compliance with
equality and human rights standards in health and social care.
• Tackling the recognised significant under reporting of lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender hate crime.
• Contributing to work to reduce incidents of female genital
mutilation.
• Seeking improvements for disabled people in access to banking
services and opportunities to participate in sport.
• Tackling the ongoing under-representation of women on corporate
boards by improving recruitment practice in FTSE 350
companies.
Baroness O'Neill of
Bengarve, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission,
said:
"Equality and human rights
are for everyone and, while we should be proud of the real progress Britain has
already made to become a fairer and more inclusive society, we must also
recognise and challenge persisting unfairness, intolerance, injustice and
indignity.
"Women still lag behind men
in the workplace, in promotion and pay at all levels as well as on the boards
of our biggest companies. Older people with limited capacity to assert their
own rights are sometimes treated in ways that do not accord them the dignity
and respect to which they are entitled. And some people are subject to working
conditions that are akin to slavery.
"The Commission's
Business Plan sets out our ambitious plans to achieve progress on these and
other important issues over the year ahead. We must safeguard the gains
we have made and continue to drive progress towards greater fairness, dignity
and respect."
The work programme contributes
to the Commission’s three strategic priorities set out in its Strategic
Plan 2012-2015:
1. To promote fairness and equality of opportunity in Britain’s
future economy.
2. To promote fair access to public services, and autonomy and dignity in
service delivery.
3. To promoting dignity and respect, and safeguard people’s
safety.
-Ends-
For more press information
contact the Commission’s media office on 0161 829 8102, out of hours
07767 272 818.
Notes to
Editors
• The
Commission’s Business Plan 2014/15 can be found on our website:http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/vision-and-mission/our-busine
ss-plan/
• The Commission is a
statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the
responsibilities of the Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights
Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission. It is the independent
advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. It aims to reduce
inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people,
and promote and protect human rights. The Commission enforces equality
legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual
orientation or transgender status, and encourages compliance with the Human
Rights Act 1998. It also gives advice and guidance to businesses, the
voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals.