In March 2010, the Equality and Diversity Forum published a report of two seminars held in late 2009 to consider the implications of the recession for equality, fairness and social justice.
This report, published in March 2010, summarises the discussion at these events and draws out some of the key questions raised, including:
- The importance of raising public awareness of the facts about inequality and poverty.
- Are equality, fairness, social mobility and diversity the same or different?
- The current lack of consensus on what fairness means in practice.
- Is there a long term global trend to increasing economic inequality?
- Are social hierarchies and segregation growing?
- The importance of ensuring equality legislation achieves its objectives.
- The relationship between the benefits system and inequality.
Looking ahead, EDF will continue to hold decision makers to account for ensuring that the recession does not herald even greater inequality in the UK. EDF will be looking particularly closely at the impact of reductions in public spending in order to ensure that those who benefited least from the years of growth do not pay the penalty for the recession and its consequences.
The seminars were held with the support of ORC Worldwide and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Click here for the report
