Equality impact assessment

An equality impact assessment (EqIA) is a process designed to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against any protected characteristic.[1]

Definition

The EqIA process aims to prevent discrimination against people who are members of a protected category.[1] The Equality Act 2010 defines 9 protected characteristics:

  • Race
  • Religion or Belief
  • Disability
  • Sex
  • Gender Reassignment
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Age
  • Marriage or Civil Partnership
  • Pregnancy and Maternity

Within the UK, EqIAs is a means of ensuring that the public sector equality duty is met.[2] On 19 November 2012, then Prime Minister David Cameron announced that EqIAs would no longer be undertaken for government decisions.[3]

See also

  • Social Impact Assessment
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Health Impact Assessment
  • Sustainability Appraisal
  • Equality Act 2006
  • Equality Act 2010
  • Equal Opportunity

References

  1. ^ a b "Ready: What is an equality impact assessment?". Equality impact assessment quick-start guide: A step-by-step guide to integrating equality impact assessment into policymaking and review (PDF). Equality and Human Rights Commission. March 2010. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-84206-269-2. Archived from the original (PDF document) on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA)". www.glasgow.gov.uk. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  3. ^ BBC News. URL accessed 19 November 2012.

Further reading

Bainard, J., Jones, A., Bateman, I., Lovett, A. & Fallon, P. (2001) Modelling environmental equity: access to air quality in Birmingham, England Environment and Planning A 2002, volume 34, pages 695 – 716

Burningham, K. & Thrush, D. (2001) Local environmental concerns in disadvantaged neighbourhoods [1]

Capacity Global (2004) BME Communities Tackling Environmental and Social Inequalities [2]

Davies, A. and Binsted, A. (2007) Environmental Equity and Equality Impact Assessment in the United Kingdom (07-1568) - TRB Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, TRB 86th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2007 [3]

Friends of the Earth (2000) Pollution injustice [4]

Friends of the Earth (2001) Pollution and Poverty – Breaking the Link [5]

Gay, R., Jeffery, B., and Saunders, P. (2005) Burden of disease: environmental inequalities [6]

Greater London Authority (2003) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them [7]

Transport for London (2004) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them [8]

Walker, G. Fairburn, J. Smith, G. and Mitchell, G. (2003) Environmental Quality and Social Deprivation [9][permanent dead link]

External links

  • UK Equality Act 2006
  • UK Equality Bill 2009 Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  • IDEA EqIA guidance
  • TfL EqIA guidance
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