New equality body

Government plans to set up a new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) were published in May, with a pledge to oblige public sector bodies to promote equality for women and men.

The proposals, set out in a white paper, will see the new body replace the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the Disability Rights Commission.

The CEHR will be expected to develop good practice among employers, promote human rights standards and values and support individual cases of discrimination.

EOC chair Julie Mellor welcomed the undertaking to promote sex equality across the public sector. This duty already exists with regard to race, and a duty to prevent disability discrimination is also being introduced.

She said: "The new duty will help organisations make public policy and services more responsive to women's and men's needs." She added that it should "[close] the gap between women and men's pay, as employers will be able to make full use of the skills available to them".