Multiple Identities

Multiple Identities
Comments by organisations, groups and individuals listed alphabetically under each of
the headings identified as the main issues raised in the responses to the consultation.
Ad-hoc Women's Policy Group - consider that the concentration on some Section 75
categories ignores many other aspects of our multiple identities, making it impossible to
develop a strategy to achieve equality for women. The Group believes that the refusal
to include age, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic minority background ignores the
advice given in pre-consultation meetings with members of the women's sector. They
add that the Gender Equality Plan fails to identify actions, which will seek to recognise
and take into account multiple identity and that it is not possible to construct a viable
strategy by slicing off aspects of women's multiple identities into other, separate,
initiatives. The Group recommends a fully integrated approach to addressing the needs
of women that must include older women, lesbian and bi-sexual women, black and
minority ethnic women including Traveller women and disabled women. Furthermore,
they consider that strategies linked to domestic violence must include older women and
women from minority ethnic groups. They feel that there must be woman-specific
programmes to deal with gender-based violence and adequate resources provided to
Women's Aid.
Belfast City Council - recommends a re-wording of the vision statement to incorporate
gender multiple realities, as the current statement is rather lengthy and disjointed.
Belfast Jewish Community Centre - point out that gender inequality is closely linked
with other forms of discrimination including age, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual
orientation etc.
British Psychological Society - comment that it is vital that mention is made of
overlapping initiatives out with gender and especially with regard to Section 75 and the
forthcoming Single Equality Bill. The Society...