Transcript Delivery notes • These slides contain all the information you need to deliver this lecture. • However, you may remove some of the.

Delivery notes
• These slides contain all the information you need to deliver this
lecture.
• However, you may remove some of the detail or slides to make them
appropriate for your trainees, length of lecture and lecture style.
• You will need to have the following video available to play at points
highlighted in the slides:
– Training video:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalrightsequalrespect/trainingvi
deo
Equal Rights, Equal Respect
Citizenship studies
Understanding equality
Objectives for session one
By the end of today, you should:
• Understand what equality means.
• Be aware of how our society has become more equal and the
unfairness that still exists.
• Be aware of laws that have been introduced to tackle equality over
the years.
• Understand the Equality Act 2010 and how it works in practice.
What is equality?
Equality
Equality is about ensuring that every individual
has an equal opportunity to make the most of
their lives, and believing that no one should have
poorer life chances because of where, what or
whom they were born.
Equality recognises that historically, certain
groups of people with particular
characteristics e.g. race, disability and
sexuality, have experienced discrimination.
Are we a more equal society today than in the
past?
 Play part 1 of the video to show experts talking about how equality
has developed but the issues that still exist:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalrightsequalrespect/trainingvide
o
Prejudice and stereotypes
• Much discriminatory behaviour comes from prejudiced attitudes
and stereotypes.
• Prejudice is negatively judging someone without knowing them, on
the basis of what they look like or what group they belong to, e.g. all
black people are lazy, all young people who wear hoodies are thugs.
• Stereotyping is thinking all people who belong to a certain group
act the same, e.g. all women should be staying at home looking
after the children, Asians only eat curry.
• These negative attitudes influence the way we treat people and
behave.
Influencing negative attitudes
• Prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination can all be influenced by
different things:
– Upbringing/attitudes of family
– Personal experiences/negative experiences
– Media
– Friends
– Fear of the unknown/lack of understanding
– Intolerance/arrogance
– Work
– Clubs
Power of media
• The media can encourage negative attitudes towards certain
groups.
Britons squeezed out of
workforce by foreigners
• It is important that young people are given a safe forum to explore,
challenge and develop their own opinions and those of others.
Tackling inequality
• Over the years, new laws have helped to tackle discrimination and
ensure people with particular characteristics are treated fairly.
• For example, the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced in 1975 to
stop discrimination due to a person’s gender. Sex discrimination
frequently occurred in the past, particularly in the workplace and
specifically towards women. The Act restricted advertising for ‘men
only’ jobs. Also the Equal Pay Act 1970, which came into force in
1975, removed unequal treatment on grounds of sex in terms of pay.
• This is one of many anti-discrimination laws that were introduced to
protect people with particular characteristics.
Anti-discrimination laws timeline
1918 Representation of
the People Act:
Gave women of property
over the age of 30 the
right to vote – not all
women could vote. It took
until 1928 for women to
have the same voting
rights as men.
Equal Pay Act 1970:
Made it unlawful for there
to be less favourable
treatment between men
and women in terms of pay
and conditions of
employment.
Sex Discrimination Act
1975:
Protects men and women
from discrimination
because of sex or
marriage in employment,
training, education,
provision of goods and
services, and the disposal
of premises.
Anti-discrimination laws timeline
Race Relations Act
1976: Prevents
discrimination because of
race in employment, the
provision of goods and
services, education and
public functions.
Disability
Discrimination Act
1995:
Prevents discrimination
against people because
of disabilities in
employment, the
provision of goods and
services, education and
transport.
The Employment
Equality (Sexual
Orientation)
Regulations 2003:
Made it unlawful to
discriminate because of
sexual orientation in
employment.
Anti-discrimination laws timeline
The Employment
Equality (Religion or
Belief) Regulations 2003:
Made it unlawful to
discriminate because of
religion or belief in
employment.
The Employment
Equality (Age)
Regulations 2006:
Made it unlawful for
employers to
unreasonably
discriminate against
employees because of
age.
The Equality Act (Sexual
Orientation) Regulations
2007:
Made it unlawful to
discriminate because of
sexual orientation in the
provision of goods, facilities,
services, education and public
functions.
What is the law today?
 Play part 1 of the video to show experts explaining the Equality Act
2010:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalrightsequalrespect/trainingvide
o
Equality Act 2010 – key points
• The Equality Act 2010 makes it
unlawful for employers, service
providers and education providers
to discriminate against, harass or
victimise individuals with protected
characteristics.
Equality Act 2010 – key points
• Protected characteristics are the
grounds upon which discrimination is
unlawful and include:
– Age
– Disability
– Gender reassignment
– Marriage and civil partnership
– Pregnancy and maternity
– Race
– Religion or belief
– Sex
– Sexual orientation
Equality Act 2010 – key points
• The Act offers the same levels of
protection from discrimination across
most protected characteristics and
sectors, where appropriate – a process
called harmonisation.
• A few areas do not have equal
protection:
– In schools, age and marriage and civil partnership do not apply
to students, although they do apply to employees.
– However, age does apply to students in 6th form college, FE
colleges and universities and to everyone in employment.
Equality Act 2010 – key points
• The Equality Act 2010 also includes
the Public Sector Equality Duty
(PSED).
• This means public bodies not only
have to eliminate discrimination,
but also have to have due regard to
the need to advance equality of
opportunity and foster good
relations.
Equality Act 2010 – key points
• The Equality Act 2010 also includes
provisions for Positive Action. This
enables schools to overcome or
minimise disadvantages experienced
by people who share a protected
characteristic to meet their different
needs or reduce under
representation.
• For example:
– Providing additional classes for
Gypsies and Travellers that are
underperforming.
Real-life examples of discrimination
Case:
• A Muslim girl, called Bushra Noah, was rejected from 25
hairdressing jobs.
• One particular hairdresser stated that it was because she wears a
head scarf. The owner claimed her staff needed to display their
hairstyles to customers.
Do you think this could be unlawful discrimination?
Real-life examples of discrimination
Outcome:
• This was unlawful discrimination because of religion and belief.
• The court ruled that Bushra had been badly upset by her job
interview and was awarded £4000 compensation for injury to
feelings.
Real-life examples of discrimination
Case:
• Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy are civil partners who booked to stay
in a hotel but when they arrived, the Christian hotel owners, Mr and
Mrs Bull, refused to allow the gay couple to stay in a room with a
double bed which were set aside for married people. They were
offered a room with two single beds instead.
Do you think this could be unlawful discrimination?
Real-life examples of discrimination
Outcome:
• This was unlawful discrimination because of sexual orientation.
• The court ruled that the hotel had directly discriminated against the
couple and awarded them £1,800 compensation.
Real-life examples of discrimination
Case:
• Miriam O’Reilly was dropped from the BBC1’s rural affairs show,
Countryfile, when it moved to its peak-time slot in April 2009.
• O’Reilly took her case to court, claiming discrimination after she was
one of four female presenters, all in their 40s and 50s, who were
dropped from the show.
Do you think this could be unlawful discrimination?
Real-life examples of discrimination
Outcome:
• This was unlawful discrimination because of age.
• The court ruled that age was a significant factor in dropping O’Reilly
and the BBC was asked to provide compensation.
Do you think this could be unlawful discrimination?
To think about...
To think about
• What are the opportunities for teachers?
• What are the challenges for teachers?
• What methods could you use to teach equality?
Useful information
Useful reading
• Equal Rights, Equal Respect on the Equality and Human Rights
Commission website provide lots more information, including free
online training and resources:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalrightsequalrespect