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Gender Equality Scheme

Wrexham County Borough Council has published its first Gender Equality Scheme as part of its commitment to meeting the Gender Equality Duty as set out in the Equality Act 2006.

The Duty requires public bodies adopt a proactive approach to equality for men and women, boys and girls.

The Equality Act 2006 came into effect on 6 April 2007 amending and strengthening the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal Pay Act 1970 and places upon public bodies a general and specific duty.

The General Duty comes in three interlinked parts and sets out the requirement for public bodies to have due regard for the need to:

eliminate unlawful discrimination
eliminate harassment
promote equality of opportunity between men and women

To meet the Specific Duty public authorities must publish a Gender Equality Scheme by 30 April 2007. To meet the duties the council must be able to demonstrate and provide evidence that they treat women and men fairly and are making progress to address identified inequalities and discrimination.

The Councils Gender Equality Scheme sets out eight key objectives:

Consider adopting the European Charter for Equality of men and women in local life as the framework for developing the Council’s long-term approach to gender equality.
Ensure staff at all levels and Members are appropriately trained and are aware of their roles and responsibilities in delivering this scheme and the wider equality agenda
To ensure that all Council functions and services are accessible to men and women of all ages and are free from unlawful or discriminatory gender bias
Integrate gender equality within the Council’s procurement function and arrangements for managing works carried out under contract or on behalf of the Council
Ensure that all employment opportunities are accessible to men and women
Ensure the Councils Pay Structure is free from gender bias
Promote a positive, safe working environment that is free from harassment and promotes the dignity and well being of men and women at work
Develop effective systems for monitoring gender equality

These objectives provide the focus for the Councils approach to gender equality for the next three years (2007 to 2010) are set out in the action plan contained within the Scheme.

For further information contact the Equality Manager on 01978 292808.

Gender Equality Scheme