Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Mid Devon District Council is committed to promoting equality for all those who live in, work in or visit Mid Devon. As a Council, we have a legal duty to implement the equality duties that are set out in the Equality Act 2010, including eliminating discrimination, advancing equality and fostering good relations.
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 is a piece of legislation that protects us all from unfair treatment because of a physical or other specific characteristic that is fundamental to our being. These are known as the nine "Protected Characteristics":
- Age
- Disability
- Gender Reassignment
- Marriage and Civil Partnership
- Pregnancy and Maternity
- Race
- Religion or Belief
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
General Duties
Section 149 of the Act imposes a duty on 'public authorities' and other bodies when exercising public functions to have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other prohibited conduct.
- Advance equality of opportunity (remove or minimise disadvantage; meet people's needs; take account of disabilities; and encourage participation in public life).
- Foster good relations between people (tackle prejudice and promote understanding).
These three parts of the Duty are complementary but must also be considered separately. The protected characteristic of marriage and civil partnership only applied in relation to Work.
Specific Duties
Beneath the General Duties are Specific Duties which require public authorities to:
- Publish information that demonstrates how the authority is meeting the General Duty (updating this at least annually).
- Publish one or more specific and measurable objectives to achieve the General Duty (updating these at least every four years).
- Publish the information and objectives in an accessible way, so that the public can see themselves how the authority is performing.