Equality and diversity

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of their 'protected characteristics', which are:

• age
• race
• disability
• sex 
• gender reassignment
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief (or lack of religion or belief)
• pregnancy and maternity
• marriage or civil partnership

The Act replaced nine pieces of equality legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

The Equality Duty

The Equality Duty supports good decision making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities, helping them to deliver policies and services which are efficient, effective, accessible to all and which meet different people's needs. It imposes a duty on the Council to have due regard to the need to:

1. Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation
2. Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
3. Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it

These are often referred to as the three aims of the general duty.

The Equality Act explains that the second aim (advancing equality of opportunity) involves, in particular, having due regard to the need to:

1. Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics
2. Take steps to meet the needs of people with certain protected characteristics where these are different from the needs of other people
3. Encourage people with certain protected characteristics to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low

The Equality Duty is supported by specific duties, which require public bodies

1. to publish relevant, proportionate information demonstrating their compliance with the Equality Duty;
2. to set themselves measurable equality objectives.

Specific Duty: Publishing Information

The Council meets this specific duty requirement through publication of the following:

• Council Plan Year-End and Half Year Performance Reports
• Equality and Consultation Analyses

For further statistical information about Coventry, please visit: Facts about Coventry.

Specific Duty: Equality Objectives

• Further information on Coventry City Council's equality objectives.