Equality and Diversity and the Equality Act 2010
We recognise that people might suffer discrimination and be disadvantaged for many reasons. We also have both a moral and statutory obligation to reflect the needs of a diverse community through our service provision and as an employer.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity across all of our services and ensuring that they are accessible to all. The Act puts fairness at the heart of society, harmonises discrimination law, strengthens the law to support progress on Equalities and devolves the responsibility for discrimination to Wales.
The Act consolidated the previous 116 different pieces of equality legislation and gives everyone the right not to be treated less favourably by public authorities. The protected characteristics (strands) to which the General public sector equality duty apply are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion and belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Marriage and Civil Partnership
The Welsh Language is not part of the Equality Act as it is covered by its own specific piece of legislation – The Welsh Language Measure (Wales) 2011 – but is no less important.
There is the need to have due regard to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
- Advance Equality of opportunity
- Foster good relations
- Cover employment and the provision of goods and services (covers both staff and the public who access services)
Related Document
- Blaenau Gwent’s Equalities Plan 2024-28 Easy read version
- Blaenau Gwent Strategic Equality Annual Report 2324
- Blaenau Gwent Strategic Equality Plan 2428
- Blaenau Gwent Strategic Equality Action Plan 2428
- Integrated Impact assessment Equality Report 2428
- Strategic Equality Plan Monitoring Report 2022 - 2023
- Strategic Equality Plan Annual Report 2021 – 2022
- Strategic Equality Plan 2020-24
- Strategic Equality Plan Monitoring Report 2018 - 2020
- Strategic Equality Plan Annual Report 2017 - 2018
- Strategic Equality Plan Annual Report 2016 - 2017
- Strategic Equality Plan Action Plan 2016 - 2020
- Strategic Equality Plan Annual Report 2014 - 2015