Campaign Launch: Why it's time to review the Equality Act. 60 tickets left.

[PencilsInSpace]

You know how we are constantly being told that there are no planned changes to the EA, and that therefore the proposed changes to the GRA don't affect us?

Well, it turns out a group of politicians are launching a campaign to review the EA.

The launch event is free to attend, Wed 20th June, 4-6 pm, House of Commons

Description

The Equality Act 2010 was established to cover nine protected characteristics: Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage or Cvil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or Belief, Sex, and Sexual Orientation.

However, in 2018 alone, we have seen the gender pay-gap issue, punish a Muslim day letters, concerns about anti-Semitic attitudes and behaviour, and the Windrush Scandal. All of these issues have in common the way in which they compel us to question what equality means in today's society. A number of characteristics such as homelessness, ethnicity, and poverty, although can give rise to discrimination, are not covered by the act. We believe that the equality act needs to be strengthened in order to ensure that we live in a fair and equal society for all.

We are marking the launch of our campaign with an event in Parliament titled "Why it's time to review the Equality Act?". Our speakers include:

1. Afzal Khan MP and Shadow Minister for Immigration
2. Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith
3. Wes Streeting MP
4. Shabana Mahmood MP
5. Jess Philips MP
6. Mark Lewis (Solicitor)

I'm going to this.

'The networks that come out of these events are worth losing an afternoon going to an unnecessary meeting.'

So agree.

And I will happily drink beer and eat Thai food for the cause!

Wes Streeting never showed. Apparently he'd managed to timetable himself to be in two places at once and this was the one that lost.

I agree with Sweary - some of the men talked about their protected characteristic as if they were the only person who has ever had difficulty and no one could possibly understand how bad they had it. Lots of from Team FWR.

I felt that it was difficult to say whether the organisers were being deliberately evasive about exactly who they were (what clout they had, what funding, what backing etc) or if they didn't understand what was being asked of them and why it was important. It was all a bit "we're all going on a journey" mumbo jumbo- not very well organised.

I had to leave the pub early but was so glad to meet some of my fellow mumsnetters in the flesh. I was very impressed and encouraged by our presence at the meeting.

How convenient for Wes.

I didn't stress in my account how much fun and how inspiring it was to meet so many other Mumsnetters and other feminists.

Regarding the position of the Muslim community leaders there, several of them mentioned was how much harm the anti extremism programme Prevent is doing. They saw it as a bad thing, though they didn't explain why. They got some push back from the Secular Society bloke.

I spoke to one woman afterwards who said Muslims community leaders have been doing a very effective job of preventing discussion of issues in their community. You can no longer criticize, for example, grooming gangs. The numerous court cases get reported but there's no public discussion of the role of culture in these offences. If you try to, you're always labelled a racist bigot.

Her take was that the TRA have copied the tactic very effectively, making most people think that saying anything about the problems in trans ideology makes you a bigot.

Her take was that the TRA have copied the tactic very effectively, making most people think that saying anything about the problems in trans ideology makes you a bigot.

YY!

I didn't stress in my account how much fun and how inspiring it was to meet so many other Mumsnetters and other feminists.

Yes! I loved this too. Wish I could've hung around longer in the pub, but had to get home for DD.

Many thanks to the women who attended.

Re: supporting Muslims speaking out against sexual violence, Muslim Womens Network and Amina Muslim Womens resource Centre are worth checking out.

Male community leaders are often self appointed bullies. But there are accredited and audited charities who are challenging misogyny and MWN did a report on grooming a few years ago.

Prawn

I agree, I was struck by the similarities. The councillor who was telling off the woman who was asking questions got very much put in his place though, which was quite funny. Big fish in a small pond became a small fish in a big pond.

I do think it's worth staying with the process, it's going to take a couple of years but if done well for homeless, etc., and changing enforcement from passive to active then it will be worthwhile. I'm staying involved, on the equal pay side of the debate too.

In the meantime stepping up the campaign for enforcement of sex as the protected characteristic, not gender is bound to make a difference.

Weird meeting that kind of went well for us I think

Others have already covered pretty much everything.

It was so strange they wouldn't say who they are, so obviously evasive after they'd been asked repeatedly:

'who are you?'
'thank you, next question from the lady at the back'
'who are you?'
'we have to be out of the room by six'

I don't think the chair ever even said her own name!

The rooms have screens outside that show what the event is and who booked the room. The room for this event was apparently booked for 'Wes Streeting - APPG on British Muslims'

I'm so pleased I went and I'm really pleased a bunch of us did It was lovely meeting so many MNers and other feminists.

The room for this event was apparently booked for 'Wes Streeting - APPG on British Muslims'

But old Wes didn't even turn up, did he?

ON PURPOSE

The acoustics were crap. Very hard to hear. I felt the 'audience' knew more about the 'issues' than the panel!

Woman on cast was very good.

Caste system

The evasion seemed to be a case of inexperience of engaging with the public. They probably are genuine and legitimate but seemed to be unable to grasp the need to bridge the gap between those on the inside and those on the outside.

Jess spoke well at the beginning and the Baroness, (because all lady jobs need ess on the end of course) was throwing her weight behind it too.

Let's wait and see what they say and do next.

I was very over the idea of adding homelessness to the EA. We don't want to eradicate religion, racial minorities or women. We don't want to protect people's right to be homeless, we want to eradicate homelessness.

One point raised at the meeting by the Zionist lawyer that I'd forgotten to add is that he said that the EA was pretty pointless without Legal Aid. You used to be able to get Legal Aid for this sort of case as long as you were likely to win. All gone now.

The more I survey the political landscape the more it seems that very careful choice of cases to test the EA and which was then crowdfunded might be a plan.

What I came away with was a much stronger conviction that changing the EA is pretty much pointless. What we need is to bring back legal aid and/or otherwise make it much easier for people to assert their rights.

I very much disagree with homelessness or poverty being PCs. I'd like to eradicate both of those - if I said that about any other PC it would be hate speech (except for sex, obviously, because nobody gives a shit about women).

Socioeconomic status and class were both mentioned which are kind of better. I've no problem with adding caste, I think that's a good idea.

We can't enforce rights for the PCs we've got though so it all seems like a pointless exercise.

x post prawn

The homeless are discriminated against by private landlords though. Making that illegal gives agencies leverage to house people more easily.

Is there a way to join the group? I’d suggest doing that and forming alliances with those seeking to put forward their own agenda (where it chimes well of course)

The homeless are discriminated against by private landlords though. Making that illegal gives agencies leverage to house people more easily.

But does the EA need amending to achieve that? Could not specific legislation around discrimination in housing not be devised?

The housing crisis can be resolved by bringing in dull restrictive regulations which would prevent landlords from making profits - increasing taxes on them etc. Rent control all that stuff. Tories won’t do it and it’s not grandiose enough for Labour

Yes to both of Elletorro and cwenthryths points, it was argued that placing it in the Equalities Act did the job of that, and would also impact on benefits or policies, which can cause homeless.

Anyway hey didn't have all the answers, the purpose of the launch is to begin working on possibilities.

It's a big job.

Elletorro, I am sure those that registered for the meeting will get to hear more about the launch which we will share. They honestly hadn't got much further than arranging the meeting.