New Plan Aims To Promote Equality

Gwynedd Council is working to reduce the factors which could lead to inequality in public life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council’s Strategic Equality Plan 2016-20 is aimed at ensuring people are not treated differently purely because of their age, gender and sexual orientation, race and religion, family situation or because of a physical or learning disability. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

On a national level, steps have been made to tackle inequality in all aspects of public life such as politics, the economy, law and the media. For instance we now have equal pay legislation and there are efforts by the major political parties to field more diverse candidates in elections. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In the forming of its Equality Plan, Gwynedd Council has vowed to put the needs of all people the authority serves at the heart of decision making and its actions. With this in mind, the Council has set out four main objectives to help overcome inequality: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Improving the way the Council gathers and uses the opinions of those who are at risk of not having equal rights.
• Improving the Council’s equality impact assessment arrangements.
• To encourage, and to make it easier for, people from different backgrounds to enter into local politics.
• To identify any employment and pay inequalities and to take action to reduce them.

Geraint Owen, Gwynedd Council’s Head of Corporate Support, which leads on equality matters within the Council, said: “I’m delighted that we have published this equality plan, which aims to build on the work that we have already being doing to reduce inequality with an identified work programme. Our aim is to provide the same level of service to everyone, no matter who they are or what their backgrounds. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is important to note that this new plan has been written during a difficult time when Gwynedd Council has to make significant cuts to services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are working hard to ensure that certain people and groups aren’t hit harder by these cuts compared to the rest of society. For example, we have been listening to people’s opinions and experiences, especially the most vulnerable in society, before coming to a final conclusion.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​