Equality Authority Input to Congress Seminar on funding for education and training

1. Equality Authority Input to Congress Seminar on funding for education and training Carole Sullivan Head of the Equality Mainstreaming Unit, Equality Authority 6th April 2011

2. Content • Equality Infrastructure • Equality legislation • Work of the Equality Authority • Supports

3. Equality Legislation • Equal Status Acts 2000-2008 • Employment Equality Acts 1998-2008 • Based on: • Individual enforcement model • No requirement to be proactive • Retrospective fault finding • Nine grounds: gender, family status, martial status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, Traveller community

4. Equality Legislation • Equality legislation – framework for promoting equality • Employment and equal status legislation prohibit discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment and victimisation • Require reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities • Sets a valuable minimum standard of non-discrimination for all organisations • Positive action allowed: • To promote equality of opportunity for disadvantaged persons • To cater for special needs of a person or category of persons

5. Employment Equality Acts 1998-2008 • Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2008 promote equality and prohibit discrimination in employment across the 9 equality grounds. • They cover: advertising, pay, access to employment, vocational training, terms and conditions of employment, promotion or regrading, classification of posts, dismissal, collective agreements.

6. Equal Status Acts 2000-2008 • Prohibit discrimination in the provision of goods and services, accommodation and education • Acts apply to people who: • Buy and sell goods; • Use or provide services; • Obtain or dispose of accommodation; • Attend or are in charge of educational establishments. Note: • Discrimination claims re: licensed premises are dealt with in the District Court – Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003

7. Equality Infrastructure • Two institutions • Equality Authority • Equality Tribunal • Hears cases, gives judgements • Investigative role • Mediation function • Does not seek costs against either party • Investigations are private • Individuals can be represented by community groups, trade unions, trade associations, Equality Authority

8. Equality Authority Role Equality Authority functions: • Promote equality of opportunity; • Combat discrimination; • Provide information on the Acts; • Monitor and keep Acts under review; • Make recommendations to the Minister for change.

9. Equality Authority Role Equality Authority powers: • Promote equality of opportunity • Provision of information -campaigns • Development Initiatives – equality mainstreaming • Research • and combat discrimination: • Prepare codes of practice; e.g. Sexual Harassment and Harassment at Work • Equality reviews; • Inquiries.

10. Equality mainstreaming • Systematic integration of an equality perspective into everyday work • Involves government departments, programme providers, equality specialists and groups experiencing inequality • Aims to change organisational cultures so that an equality perspective becomes an integral part of what we plan and provide • Long term strategy- aims to make sure that policy and provision can accommodate diversity across the nine grounds • Leads to improved policy making through better information, better transparency and openness in the policy making process

11. Mainstreaming equality requires • Leadership and political commitment • Commitment and ownership across an organisation • Participation of groups experiencing inequality • Guidance, training and support • Data, information and research • Equality competence

12. Equality Competence Equality competent organisations are those with structures, policies, practices and procedures into which equality is embedded as a matter of course. Four ingredients which must be in place for the organisation to be equality competent: • Equality policies • Equality action plan including training • Equality committee • Equality reviews/ impact assessments

13. Equality Authority/EMU supports • Trade Union and Employer Networks Projects to support equality mainstreaming approaches • Sectoral project approaches – hospitality, mushroom growers, financial sector • SME Grant Scheme • Workplace diversity funding • Capacity building/ training seminars

14. Publications/Guides • Guidelines for conducting equality impact assessments on IVEA and VEC plans, policies and programmes • Equality Screening Guidelines • Equality Proofing template for City and County Development Boards • Guidelines on the development of equality policies, equal status policies and equality and diversity training in the workplace • www.equality.ie