Equality action pledge on poignant world date
Perth and Kinross councillors showed unity in their desire for fairness when they met to discuss the council’s equality performance report.
Councillors poignantly discussed the report less than 12 hours after George Floyd’s murderer was convicted almost 4000 miles away in Minneapolis.
Councillors showed solidarity against discrimination as they spent around an hour thoroughly scrutinising it.
Perth and Kinross Council is required along with all other public authorities to publish its Equalities Mainstreaming Report and review the council’s existing Equality Outcomes by April 30, 2021.
PKC’s equality performance report 2019/20 states: “We want anyone who lives, works or visits Perth and Kinross to feel safe, welcome and included.”
It also states: “We recognise that discrimination, victimisation and harassment are unlawful and unacceptable and we will take action to prevent this occurring. If this does occur, we will take agreed and appropriate action to deal with it.”
SNP Strathmore councillor Fiona Sarwar asked for examples of positive action strategies taken by PKC.
Councillors were told of work within PKC’s modern apprenticeship schemes to attract applicants from equality protected groups as well as work done in collaboration with Perth College to attract men into childcare.
Perth City South SNP councillor Sheila McCole asked what extra measures were put in place to allow someone with, for example, a sensory impairment to do a job.
Chief operating officer Karen Donaldson told councillors support was offered to individuals and adjustments made to allow individuals to participate in a job role.
Lib Dem Perth City South councillor Liz Barrett asked about recognition of what she said might be regarded as low level violence such as harassment and how it affects women and girls all the time.
PKC’s chief social worker officer Jacquie
Pepper said RASAC (Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Perth and Kinross) was doing a lot of work in schools about healthy relationships and recognising unhealthy relationships and how to manage that.
Cllr Sarwar later praised the work of third sector organisations and campaign groups such as RASAC, Violence against Women Partnership, Perth Women’s Aid, the Tampon Taxi and PKAVS.
She said: “They are all just excellent, excellent campaigns and I want to thank them for their work across the area.”
Conservative council leader Murray Lyle moved the paper for approval.
He said: “The report provides firm evidence of our continued commitment to making Perth and Kinross an accessible, inclusive, safe and welcoming place as well as providing evidence of our commitment to fulfilling our equality obligations as an employer.
“I would like to particularly thank our colleagues and in particular Councillor Peter Barrett for continuing to visibly champion this area of work.”
PKC’s equalities champion councillor Peter Barrett seconded.
The Lib Dem Perth City Centre said: “I’m very grateful to all council members for their keen interest and scrutiny today which I think reflects a sense across the whole of the country that hate crime, misogyny, violence against women, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination require us all to unite, to stand together in solidarity with all minorities - our black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and all equalities protected groups - and stand up for human met to discuss equality just hours after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, an incident that sparked outrage across the world, including in Perth and Kinross rights and fairness and equality.
“The issues of violence against women in the wake of the death of Sarah Everard in London, the structural and institutional racism confronted by the Black Lives Matter movement demand action and not denial.
“People’s lived experiences matter. COVID has highlighted the inequalities that exist in our society disproportionately impacting on different groups.
“Increased violence against women and rising domestic abuse against women during COVID; BAME communities dying in disproportionately greater numbers becoming severely ill in greater numbers and then losing their jobs or twice as likely to be unemployed - and these are some of the real challenges we face and must address in our recovery.”