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.
Definition
The EqIA process aims to prevent discrimination against people who are categorised as being disadvantaged or vulnerable within society. 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.
Previous EqIAs have included other categories of people such as people on low incomes and Gypsies and Irish Travellers.
Within the UK, EqIAs are still popular as a means of ensuring that the public-sector equality duty is met.
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
Capacity Global (2004) BME Communities Tackling Environmental and Social Inequalities
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
Friends of the Earth (2000) Pollution injustice
Friends of the Earth (2001) Pollution and Poverty – Breaking the Link
Gay, R., Jeffery, B., and Saunders, P. (2005) Burden of disease: environmental inequalities
Greater London Authority (2003) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them
Transport for London (2004) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them
Walker, G. Fairburn, J. Smith, G. and Mitchell, G. (2003) Environmental Quality and Social Deprivation
