Equality impact assessment
An equality impact assessment (EqIA) is a process designed to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not discriminate against any disadvantaged or vulnerable people.[citation needed]
Definition
The EqIA process aims to prevent discrimination against people who are categorised as being disadvantaged or vulnerable within society.[citation needed] These categories are called equality target groups (ETGs) and are currently designated by the Greater London Authority as:
- women;
- black, Asian and ethnic-minority people;
- young people and children;
- older people;
- disabled people;
- Lesbian people, gay people, bisexual people and transsexual people; and
- people from different faith groups.[citation needed]
Previous EqIAs have included other categories of people such as people on low incomes and Gypsies and Irish Travellers.[citation needed]
Within the UK, EqIAs are still popular as a means of ensuring that the public-sector equality duty is met.[citation needed]
Examples of EqIA in the UK
Islington Sustainable Transport Strategy EqIA
http://www.mkiobservatory.org.uk/page.aspx?id=2151&siteID=1026 Milton Keynes Council's EqIA
Uncertain Future
On the 19th of November 2012, prime minister David Cameron announced that EqIAs would no longer be undertaken for government decisions.[1]
See also
- Social Impact Assessment
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Health Impact Assessment
- Heritage Impact Assessment
- Traffic Impact Assessment
- Sustainability Appraisal
- Equality Act 2006
- Environmental Justice
- Equality Act 2010
- Equal Opportunity
References
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]
External links
