Demystifying Equality: An introduction to Equality &

Diversity

Facilitated byEquality South West

Introductions• Name• Job Title • What experience have you had of equality and

diversity?

Workshop objectives• To understand what is meant by equality & diversity• To understand what is meant by discrimination,

victimisation & harassment• To understand the different types of discrimination• To understand the basic legislative requirements

around equality & diversity• To better understand how equality & diversity

impacts on the work of your organisation

We hope that the session will be...• Interactive (no question too daft)• Accessible for all• Jargon free (ish)• Uninterrupted by phones (unless urgent)• Respectful of everyone in the room

Diversity Bingo• Collect 5 signatures, horizontally, vertically or

diagonally.• The same person can sign more than once,

but not in the same line.• You may not sign your own sheet.• The facilitators may sign it too.• The first person with 2 complete lines wins.

What is Equality & Diversity?

What is Equality?

Equality is...?a)Treating everyone the sameb)Treating everyone according to their

needsc)Treating everyone nicely

Equality is treating everyone according to their needs.

9 ‘Protected Characteristics’• Age• Disability• Gender reassignment• Marriage and civil partnership• Pregnancy and maternity• Race• Religion or belief• Sex• Sexual orientation

Real life experiencesA transman talks about his transition from female to male and his experiences.

You Tube – Stephen Whittle

What do the protected characteristics mean to you?

Age Disability

Gender Reassignme

nt

Race

Religion or

Belief

Sex

Sexual Orientatio

n

Pregnancy &

Maternity

Marriage & Civil

Partnership

What is diversity?• the way in which we all differ ” – Clements and

Jones (2000)

Real life experiencesA young woman who is a natural size zerodescribes how she was bullied at school andhas had to constantly justify her weight toothers.

You Tube – Sarah Whitehurst

What is Discrimination, Harassment & Victimisation?

What is discrimination? “…people being thought of as having different worth or value, being treated differently or given fewer opportunities because of their identities”. (Learner Voice, LSC)

Three types of discrimination:•Direct•Indirect•Institutional

Direct Discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when you treat someone less favourably than you treat (or would treat) another because of a protected characteristic.

E.g. Refusing to serve a customer because they are Asian.

Indirect DiscriminationIndirect discrimination occurs when an organisation has criteria, policies, procedures or practices which, although they apply to all employees or service users, have the effect of disproportionally disadvantaging a particular group or groups of people.

E.g. Putting in a job advert that a full UK drivers license and access to a car is essential.

Institutional DiscriminationInstitutional discrimination occurs when the culture, policies, systems and procedures in an organisation inherently discriminate against a group or groups of people.

E.g. A garage that only recruits male mechanics.

Real life experiencesA former self-harmer describes herexperience and why she now wants to helpothers to stop.

You Tube – Tyfanny Booker

HarassmentHarassment is “unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual”.

E.g. A manager making homophobic jokes in the office.

VictimisationVictimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they have made, supported or are suspected to have made or supported a grievance under The Equality Act.

E.g. Being ignored by colleagues because you took a grievance out against your manager for sexual harassment.

Equality and The Law

Main purposes of The Equality Act 2010“To harmonise discrimination law, and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality". • Streamlines and combines previous legislation

to make things easier for businesses;• Provides new measures to fight discrimination• Extends previous protections to cover 7 equality

‘strands’ plus marriage and civil partnerships,pregnant women and new mothers.

Headline provisions include • New ‘Protected characteristics’• Age discrimination: goods, facilities and services• New definitions of discrimination• Banning pay secrecy clauses• Protections for carers • Positive action • Public Sector Equality Duty• Public procurement• Banning of pre-employment health questionnaires• Stronger protections for disabled people

Public Equality DutyIn the design and delivery of public servicesproviders must:• Eliminate discrimination – 9 protected

characteristics• Advance equality of opportunity between

people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

• Foster good relations

Equality & Me

Reflection, questions and forms

Workshop objectives• To understand what is meant by equality & diversity• To understand what is meant by discrimination,

victimisation & harassment• To understand the different types of discrimination• To understand the basic legislative requirements

around equality & diversity• To better understand how equality & diversity

impacts on the work of your organisation