The Government has published a progress report highlighting the progress so far since the first cross-government equality strategy, Building a Fairer Britain, was launched in 2010.
According to the Government the strategy focused on moving away from regulation, legislation and coercion. Instead, it concentrated on developing intelligent, light-touch, common sense policies that have a demonstrable impact on people’s lives.
Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, said:
“Effective equalities policy works with the grain of human nature, not against it. That’s why we abandoned the last government’s approach of simply trying to dictate how people should behave.
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“Instead, we’re putting in place an architecture to support businesses, organisations and individuals to do the right thing. This one-year-on evaluation shows that the new approach is already paying off.”
Some measures introduced since the strategy was first published include:
* Reducing bureaucracy and cutting red tape by repealing ineffective equality legislation.
* Breaking down barriers to women in the workplace through a number of positive initiatives.
* Breaking new ground on LGB&T equality by consulting on how to introduce same-sex civil marriage and introducing the first-ever Sports Charter to combat homophobia and transphobia.
* Working with the insurance industry on a voluntary agreement to improve access to travel and motor cover for older people.
* Supporting disabled people who want to become politically active through a new Access to Elected Office programme.
* Boosting self-image through the Body Confidence campaign.
The latest progress report, The equality strategy – building a fairer Britain: progress report describes the Coalition Government’s approach to equality, which it says being based on transparency, local accountability and reducing bureaucracy, is beginning to make a difference across the five key priority areas outlined in the equality strategy.
