Revising Gender Equality Schemes

The Equality Act 2006 amended the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), introducing the Gender Equality Duty, requiring higher education institutions to produce a Gender Equality Scheme.

Most English institutions must revise and publish their Gender Equality Scheme by 30 April 2010 in order to meet the legal requirements of the Gender Equality Duty.

Most Scottish institutions must revise and publish their Gender Equality Scheme by 28 September 2010 in order to meet the legal requirements of the Gender Equality Duty.

This briefing reminds institutions of the essential components of a Gender Equality Scheme, outlines the legal requirements and highlights elements that could be included in the revised plan.

Areas covered in the briefing include:

• Background to Gender Equality Schemes (GES)
  
• Why revise the GES?
• What information should be used to revise a scheme?
• What should a GES include?
• Publication of the scheme
• Annual reporting
• Enforcement of the Gender Equality Duty
• Single Equality Schemes
• What will happen under the Equality Bill?
• Key resources

Welsh institutions do not have a legal duty to publish a Gender Equality Scheme. However, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales recommend that they develop a scheme in line with the requirements outlined in this briefing.

Related pages

• What are the deadlines for revising our equality schemes?