Protecting equality post Brexit

In a report published today the Women and Equalities Select Committee made a series of recommendations to protect equality as the UK leaves the European Union.

The Committee called on the government to:

• Include a clause in the Great Repeal Bill that explicitly commits to maintaining the current levels of equality protection when EU law is transposed into UK law;
• Introduce an amendment to the Equality Act 2010 to empower Parliament and the Courts to declare whether legislation is compatible with UK principles of equality, comparable to similar provisions in the Human Rights Act;
• Develop a cross-government equality strategy in order to ensure that all government departments take action on equality
• Provide a platform for linking into civil society organisations;
• Map the extent of research and other equality projects currently receiving EU funds and to replace and ring-fence these funds to allow research on equalities to continue undisrupted

Speaking in response to the report Dr Eva Neitzert, Co-Director of the Women’s Budget Group said:

“It is vitally important that the rights women have under EU law are guaranteed as we leave the EU. This requires both legal protection and a commitment by Government to take action on Equality. A cross Government equality strategy could help deliver Theresa May’s promise of ‘a country that works for everyone’

Government also needs to listen to women’s voluntary sector organisations who represent and provide services to millions of women across the country and often act as an early warning system if policy isn’t working as intended. Since the Women’s National Commission was closed in 2010 the link between these organisations and Government has been broken.

We welcome the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Select Committee and urge the Government to adopt them.”

For further comment, contact Eva Neitzert on 07908 111 344 / eva.neitzert@wbg.org.uk