The Drive for Equality

Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, says the pandemic has given rise to real concerns about inequalities in society. Here she talks to Emma Deighan about addressing those issues and why a diverse workplace is about so much more than a moral obligation.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), the public body established by the Northern Ireland Act in 1998, has spent more than two decades working to create a more level playing field in society and the workplace here.

It has done this through powers and duties derived from Northern Ireland’s equality legislation, which provides protection against discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religion and political opinion, sex and sexual orientation. Its sponsor Department is The Executive Office, which carries responsibilities for equality policy and legislation in the Northern Ireland Executive.

ECNI has been addressing specific equality issues raised by the pandemic.

“COVID has impacted significantly on the work we’ve been doing. It is clear that the pandemic is not affecting everyone the same way or to the same degree,” Evelyn says.

People with disabilities, older people, people from Black and minority ethnic communities and women have been significantly impacted, she says.

“We’ve been working hard to remind policy makers that, even when working at speed, bring forward plans to address this emergency, existing equality law frameworks, particularly the public sector equality duties, should help inform planning and policy development and they must bear in mind the need for good equality data to underpin policies and plans.

“We’ve also done a lot of work with employers to help with new complexities thrown up by the pandemic, including issuing new guidance notes, covering issues such as addressing equality issues in decision making on who should be furloughed or made redundant, making reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities”.

ECNI has also issued advice on the rights of disabled people in the context of the wearing of face coverings and on protecting pregnant employees during the pandemic.

Evelyn draws attention to the lack of childcare in Northern Ireland, one of the key issues highlighted during the pandemic, adding: “There are wider societal assumptions that women will home-school children and take full responsibilities for childcare, even if they are also working.”

“This has highlighted the long-standing need for better childcare in Northern Ireland,” she adds, and ECNI has called on the Executive to bring forward its longawaited childcare strategy.

“Years ago, responsibility for childcare was a woman’s issue but it’s more than that now, it’s an issue for children, for families and for the economy. We have heard it raised consistently by the business community during the pandemic,” Evelyn continues.

“COVID is also shining a light on poverty, it is showing that living through the pandemic is more difficult for people who are poor and this is often compounded by inequalities on grounds of disability, race, gender and/or being older.

“Educational attainment levels are another of our strategic priorities, to ensure nobody gets left behind,” adds Evelyn. “Everybody is concerned about prospects and we know that educational experiences during lockdown can be very different for children from different backgrounds. Those who are in areas of poverty may not have the same access as others to equipment for example, that has been highlighted, and particular issues arise for newcomer children and children eligible for free school meals.

“We are also concerned that children and young people with disabilities have access to good quality education, whether that’s in mainstream or special schools. And we are highlighting equality issues in education relating to the impacts of the pandemic on attainment levels, changes in assessments and transfer children for example.”

Also a priority for ECNI, in the post Brexit landscape, is overseeing the implementation of the UK Government’s commitment to no reduction of certain rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity protections, set out

in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and specific equality directives.

Evelyn says that the Commission’s role is to be vigilant in monitoring for any changes made after our exit from the EU that may impact on existing rights.

“Over the years, the Government had adapted or introduced equality laws because of our membership of the EU and we were keen that the Government would not do anything that could reduce the protections provided by those laws. In light of Brexit, the UK Government has made this important commitment to no reduction and it has given us, together with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, an important role to oversee that commitment.

“This includes new powers to monitor, advise, enforce and report on this commitment. We’re pleased to have this recognition of our role in safeguarding rights, it is interesting and challenging work.”

It may be an additional workload but one that Evelyn and her 75-strong team welcome.

While tasks are significant for the organisation, Evelyn says improvements since its inception have also been significant.

“There have certainly been substantial improvements in the laws relating to sexual orientation and age discrimination in employment, employment policies and practices have improved, and in many instances attitudes towards difference too. That said, we would like to see the introduction by the Executive of legislative protection against age discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities. Indeed, we would like to see a single equality act, bringing all antidiscrimination legislation together, strengthening and harmonising it and addressing the gaps that have developed between here and Britain.

“We would also like to see real political leadership in addressing race inequalities in Northern Ireland and urgent progress made on the implementation of the Executive’s Race Equality Strategy. Progress has been very slow up until now and there is an absolute necessity to improve attitudes towards BAME communities and asylum seekers here. Evelyn says “the area where we see the most negative attitudes here is towards people of other races and nationalities”.

Addressing business owners, Evelyn says, “Having a reputation as an employer who embraces diversity helps with the bottom line.

“People often see diversity as a matter of fairness and non-discrimination – a matter of equality and justice. That is important. But for organisations, there is also intrinsic value in having a diverse workforce across age, race, gender and sexual orientation.

“Employees are different on grounds of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and so on, but they are also different in terms of experiences, thought, background, experience, education. Creating a culture of inclusion is critical to engaging, attracting and retaining your workforce.

“This is not just to be politically correct or the right thing to do.”

Research by McKinsey shows that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same.

Research by Catalyst shows that companies with more women on the board statistically outperform their peers over a long period of time and in the UK, PwC research found that if the UK gender gap were closed to match that of Sweden – moving from 57% female employment to 69% – it would add £170bn to UK GDP.

“There are many good employers in Northern Ireland who understand the importance of equality, but we still get a fair number of complaints about discrimination at work. Sometimes a company has good policies in place, but they are not properly followed and this can lead to difficulties,” Evelyn continues.

“A good portion of our work is with employers, providing advice or information about the law on equality at work and good practice.”

Right now she sends a message to employers to ensure their staff’s mental health during these challenging times is a priority.

“One in four of us has a mental health issue at some point in our working life and it has become a significant issue for employers. Over 200 employers have signed up to our Mental Health Charter, demonstrating their commitment to supporting employees with mental ill health and we welcome this. It is critical that leadership works to ensure an organisational culture where talking about mental health and well-being is normal.”

Evelyn concludes: “In terms of our overall strategy at present, we are working to encourage more and better jobs for disabled people, increased access for women in employment, including and addressing pregnancy discrimination, and promoting workplaces that are welcoming and inclusive. We must also learn the lessons from the pandemic and work to address the inequalities it has highlighted.”

Evelyn addressing an event at financial services company Citi, talking about the Commission’s Mental Health Charter initiative.

“People often see diversity as a matter of fairness and non-discrimination – a matter of equality and justice. That is important. But for organisations, there is also intrinsic value in having a diverse workforce across age, race, gender and sexual orientation. “