Blog
Equally Safe at Work update: Now open to new employers
We are pleased to announce that Equally Safe at Work is now open to new employers across the public and third sector. Equally Safe at Work is an employer accreditation designed to support the local implementation of the Equally Safe strategy, Scotland’s national strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls. Equally Safe at Work supports employers to advance gender inequality and prevent violence against women.
New report: Findings from the evaluation of Equally Safe at Work in local government, NHS and third sector
At Close the Gap, we’re always keen to understand what works in creating change for women in the workplace. One area where we’ve seen success in our work is Equally Safe at Work, our innovative employer accreditation programme that supports employers in local government, NHS and third sector develop gender- and VAW- sensitive employment practice. The programme was first piloted between 2019 and 2020. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been working with a new cohort of councils and introduced a pilot in the NHS and third sector. As a result of the recent roll out, we’re delighted that 14 new employers have become accredited.
Congratulations to the newly accredited Equally Safe at Work employers!
Our Equally Safe at Work team has been busy working with a range of employers over the last 18 months to enable them to develop improved gender-sensitive employment practice and prevent violence against women. We’re now delighted to announce that 14 new employers have received accreditation in recognition of the work they’ve delivered to create better workplaces for women workers. These employers include:
Scotland’s gender pay gap continues to fluctuate as women’s labour market inequalities remain unchallenged.
An inadequate pension system for disabled women
Women have historically been disadvantaged by the pension system in comparison to their male counterparts. Since its inception, it has only placed value on the ‘male working pattern’ of working full-time hours with an uninterrupted working history. However, this is far from the reality of women’s lives, in particular disabled women’s lives.
Call for participants: focus groups for disabled women and women with a long-term health condition to share their experiences of employment in Scotland.
There is a significant lack of Scotland-specific data in relation to disabled women’s experiences of employment and engaging with the labour market. Particularly around their access to development, their workplace experiences and disabled women’s pay gaps. These data gaps contribute to policy developments and decisions around the labour market that do not consider the inequalities disabled women face.
Equally Safe at Work Community of Practice: Harnessing the power of peer learning to improve employment practice
Last week, Close the Gap held the fourth meeting of the Equally Safe at Work Community of Practice. We had employers from across sectors in Scotland come together to discuss gender equality and violence against women (VAW) in the workplace. In attendance were colleagues from local government, NHS, the third sector, the Scottish Government and COSLA.
A vision for a childcare system that works for everyone.
Close the Gap and One Parent Family Scotland have launched a joint vision for a childcare system that centres women’s equality, prioritises positive outcomes for children, and addresses women’s and children’s poverty. It’s a set of principles for high-quality childcare provision that is flexible, accessible and affordable for all families, including those on low incomes. The principles are endorsed by a broad range of 25 civil society organisations.
What is the gender pension gap?
Retirement is often seen as a part of women’s lives that is far off in future, especially when the State Pension age (SPA) is projected to keep rising beyond 68, with these changes rumoured to be accelerated by as early as 2035. This is despite Scottish data showing that life expectancy is falling alongside similar figures for the UK, which show a decrease in life expectancy, in recent years. Healthy life expectancy figures have also seen a decline in Scotland, which impacts people’s ability to remain in the labour market. As women, on average, live longer than men, it’s especially important to consider the circumstances that will constrain women’s ability to plan for, and enjoy, their years in retirement.
Positive shifts, persistent problems: an assessment of five years of employer gender pay gap reporting
New employer guidance on taking an anti-racist approach to tackling gender inequality in the workplace.
Racism and sexism are the causes of the inequality and discrimination that racially minoritised women face in their everyday lives. It’s no different in the workplace.
Equally Safe at Work: New learning and development resources to address sexual harassment at work
High levels of sexual harassment remain consistent in the workplace, which has a detrimental impact on women, colleagues and the entire organisation. In our Equally Safe at Work employee survey in early adopter councils, three-quarters (75%) of respondents had either experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the last 12 months and 70% didn’t report it to their employer. We know that women rarely report sexual harassment, and violence against women in general. This is because some think nothing will change, or that they won’t be believed. In some cases, women worry it will affect their career progression. As well, women have shared that they tried to report to their line manager, and received little to no support to make a formal report to HR.
Register for the online launch of Close the Gap’s new guidance on taking an anti-racist approach to tackling gender inequality at work
How to help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?
Sexual
harassment is an endemic problem in our society. In the past decade, the global
"#MeToo" movement has helped to raise awareness of its prevalence, helping it to
become a high-profile issue.
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