Gender Equality |
 Breckland Council recognises the fact that, despite 30 years of individual legal rights to sex equality, there is still widespread discrimination and persistent gender inequality. A one-size-fits-all approach does not meet the needs of all our residents or employees. Practices and policies can have a significantly different effect on women and on men, and care must be given to ensuring they do not contribute to greater gender inequality and poor policy outcomes. Gender is often confused with sex. Whilst sex generally refers to biology and anatomy, gender refers to a set of qualities and behaviours expected from a female or male by society. Gender roles are socially determined and can evolve over time. With regard to transsexuals, public authorities must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment against transsexual people when discharging their gender duty. In relation to actual equality of opportunity, it is necessary to recognise that in certain circumstances women and men, because of their sex or gender roles, are not in the same position and identical treatment would not be appropriate. Gender Equality SchemeWorking with our employees, union representatives and other stakeholders, we have reviewed how we address the gender issue and have developed our first Gender Equality Scheme (GES). Breckland Council is committed to equality of opportunity and values diversity in both the provision of services and in its role as a major employer in the district. The Equality Act 2006 gives all local authorities general and specific duties to promote gender equality, and this Scheme is one of the specific duties. The Scheme addresses the gender issues and sets out our priorities for the next three years to show how we will improve our services and policies. We also have to publish by the 30th April each year, a report showing the progress we have made in meeting the actions laid out within the scheme. You can access that report that was approved by our Overview and Scrutiny Commission on the 17th April 2008 by clicking on the link below ‘Annual Report 2008.’ Policy & Performance Team Download the GES here. (PDF 222kb) Download the Gender Annual 2008 Report here If you’d like any further information about the Gender Equality Scheme, please contact the Equalities Officer in the Policy & Performance Team on 01362 656870 or email equalities@breckland.gov.uk.
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