The MPA Gender Equality Scheme

In the summer of 2008 the MPA completed its Generic Equality Scheme (GNES). This generic scheme combined the MPAs existing equality schemes on disability, gender and race with action plans for the remaining diversity strands of age, faith/belief and sexual orientation.

Equality Act 2006

The Equality Act 2006 amends the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to place a statutory duty on public authorities when carrying out their functions. It encompasses the new Gender Equality Duty, which requires the MPA to publish a Gender Equality Scheme by 30 April 2007. This new duty requires public authorities such as the MPA to promote gender equality and eliminate sex discrimination. The duty places a legal responsibility on the Authority to demonstrate that we treat men and women fairly in our policymaking, public services, and in our employment practices.

MPA Gender Equality Scheme

• Gender Equality Scheme [Word document]
• Gender Equality Scheme [PDF document]

We are pleased to present our first Gender Equality Scheme which will build on the equality work we are already doing and enable us to further develop actions to achieve equality for women, men, girls and boys. It will sit beside our schemes around race and disability, within the envelope of our overall Generic Equality Scheme, which is currently being developed. We know that other equality issues such as age, disability, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation also affect people’s lives. Our Gender Equality Scheme sets out the framework the MPA will use to tackle gender equality issues.

Women and men experience different types of disadvantage in society, often determined by the roles they play at work, at home and in the community and the relationships they establish. Their lives can also be affected by stereotyping about the roles they should play and the needs they have as employees and service users. This can be compounded by organisational cultures and working and service delivery practices that mitigate against the promotion of equality of opportunity and lead to unlawful discrimination and harassment.

We are aware of the persistent pay gap between women and men, the barriers faced by many as a result of caring and domestic responsibilities and the sexual harassment, domestic violence and social and economic disadvantage experienced by many women. We believe that young people – girls and boys – have much to contribute to their communities, yet often face negative attitudes, stereotyping and resistance to greater participation and involvement. We know that women live longer and often face poverty in their older years as well as anxieties about safety in their communities and at home.

Our work to promote gender equality and eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment will reflect an understanding that women and men can experience disadvantage and discrimination because of their age, disability, ethnicity, religion or belief, or sexual orientation; and we are committed to ensuring that the rights of transgender people under the Gender Recognition Act 2005 are recognised.

We have made progress toward the achievement of gender equality in service delivery and employment in the MPA, but there is much still to do to challenge discrimination and harassment and promote equality. The gender objectives we have identified in this Scheme and the Action Plan will build on this work as we seek further to improve our services and employment practices, promote gender equality, combat sex discrimination and harassment and engage effectively with women and men and girls and boys across London.

The MPA is committed to promoting gender equality and eliminating unlawful discrimination and harassment. We want to mainstream gender equality throughout the Authority and make it central to all that we do.

In our role of scrutinising, overseeing and holding the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to account, this document will be one of the key standards by which we operate so that we achieve for women, men, girls and boys a confidence in the MPS and a good experience of policing, to meet their needs and aspirations.

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