Equality in its wider sense, as in the definition of equal opportunities in the Scotland Act 1998, encompasses gender, race, disability, sexual orientation and also individuals and groups facing discrimination on the grounds of age, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes, including beliefs or opinions, such as religious belief or political opinion. Mainstreaming equality should ensure that all opportunities are genuinely available and accessible to all potential participants and that current initiatives do not have a negative impact on any disadvantaged groups.

Voluntary organisations have always been in the vanguard of efforts to promote equality and human rights in Britain and throughout the world. In providing a voice to disadvantaged groups, the third sector has been responsible for major advances in policy and practice in reducing discrimination on grounds of race, gender, sexuality, religion, age and disability. However, much remains to be done in Scotland to challenge persistent discrimination and the voluntary sector can do more in this role. SCVO’s Policy Committee has consistently prioritised the promotion of equality and human rights as a sector responsibility.

Voluntary organisations can be large employers and service providers in their own right, and need to be supported in maintaining best practice in their operations. The implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into Scottish law represents a series of new challenges to voluntary organisations, which in European legal terms are ‘public bodies’ and therefore covered by the law. There is a need for information and education for public bodies of all kinds, in particular voluntary organisations, in respect of ECHR developments. This represents an area of expertise not previously provided for the sector.

The Scottish Executive adopted best practice in its approach to Equality Strategy by adopting a ‘mainstreaming’ approach and appointing an Executive Unit to help implementation across the various policy departments of Scottish government. The advantages of such an approach – maximising efforts to challenge aspects of discrimination regardless of form – are also being recognised in the voluntary sector. However, the benefits of maintaining distinct structures and programmes of work for each area of discrimination are also valued. This calls for a coordinated but not unduly prescriptive approach to promoting equalities and implies a key role for voluntary sector infrastructure bodies.

SCVO is working within its own structures and with key bodies to increase the coordination of equalities and human rights work across the Scottish voluntary sector, and in conjunction with other sectors.  This website aims to give voluntary organisations the tools they need to promote equality.

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