Gender Equality Scheme
March 2007
G.E.S. (Gender Equality Scheme) is a Whitehall committee chaired by the MP, Vera Baird QC at the newly created Ministry of Justice (formerly the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and prior to that was known as the Lord Chancellors’ Dept).
The Gender Equality Scheme terms of reference were created by the Equality Act. The aim is to eliminate unlawful sexual and gender discrimination (and harassment) and promote equality of opportunity between men and women and the various genders. Primarily this means gays, lesbians and transsexuals (GLTs).
Every branch of government has been tasked with the duty of making and meeting gender equality policy development in employment and services etc
Men’s Aid received an invitation to join the GES committee from the Ministry of Justice. The chairman, David Mortimer, asked Robert Whiston to represent Men’s Aid.
The GES was set up at the Ministry of Justice to advise all Whitehall departments in the implementation procedures.
The main beneficiaries of the Equality Act 2006 are intended to be Gays, Lesbians and Transgender, but the government also expects women and ethnic minorities to gain. To ensure they all do and that most contingencies are covered the GES was set up to advise all Whitehall departments.
In the process of highlighting the discrimination against the three main sub-sets (GLTs) the institutional discrimination against heterosexual men - and fathers in particular - is naturally thrown into sharp relief.
The framers of the Equality Act 2006 say it applies to all government departments all private and publicly listed companies and, interestingly, to all registered charities. The latter should be seen as including CAFCASS and the CSA together with all NGOs, e.g. WAFE, WNC, WI.
The GES asked attendees for input and comments. Other than Men’s Aid all of the members of the committee are female. Below are the observations and comments submitted by Men’s Aid for ministerial consideration.
