Equality isn’t just a minority issue – the Equalities Review’s final report Fairness and Freedom reveals that women with children under the age of 11 are more than 40 per cent more likely to be out of work than men, not all of which is by choice.

The finding that motherhood is the biggest barrier to women in the workplace is one of many in a report which sought to identify the causes of inequality in society and make recommendations for tackling disadvantage in the areas of education, health and criminal justice.

Without a new approach to tackling discrimination and disadvantage, the report says that some kinds of inequality are set to remain for years. At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2085 to close the pay gap between men and women and the employment penalty facing disabled people may never be eliminated.

The chairman of the Equalities Review Panel, Trevor Phillips, said: “This report is entirely about one of the – if not the – most cherished aspirations of the British people: to live in a society that is fair and free, and which provides for each individual to realise his or her potential to the fullest. At root, this is what we should mean by an equal society.

“Today, we report that greater equality would benefit the whole of society. But we also warn that inequality still scars our entire society and holds back too many individuals from realising their potential. If we do not create a new framework to tackle existing, entrenched and emerging inequalities we risk losing the momentum built up by three generations.

“People face inequality in many forms – not only on the grounds of race, gender or disability but also sexual orientation, age, gender identity, and religion or belief. They struggle because of outdated attitudes and systemic failures. It will take many years to remove the remaining barriers to equality. In some cases, unless we accelerate progress, it is unlikely that disadvantage will ever be overcome. We have to act now.”

The report proposes a new working definition for equality, based on the freedom people have to flourish, that takes factors beyond income and wealth into account. According to the report, any modern measure of equality needs to take account of important areas such as family and social life, education, safety, quality of life, and freedom of belief and religion. Outcomes in these areas remain unequal for many groups across society.

The Phillips’ report recommends ten steps to greater equality, including:

• A new framework to measure progress towards equality, including an ‘equalities scorecard’ which employers, public service providers and others can use to get a true picture of equality gaps




• A new, simpler but broader positive duty for public sector bodies to tackle inequality – both as service providers and as employers




• A simpler legislative framework which will enable groups as well as individuals to take action




• New flexibility for employers to use positive action (though the report does not argue for positive discrimination)




• A more sophisticated and proportionate enforcement regime, overseen by the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights




• Targeted action on persistent inequalities in the fields of early years and education, employment, health, and crime and criminal justice.

The report has been welcomed by the CBI. Deputy director-general John Cridland said: “”Those groups who experience particular disadvantage in our society, including women with young children, need support.

“Employers can help working parents by giving them the widest possible range of flexible working options. Plenty of progress is being made towards a more flexible workplace and more can be done. But it’s a fact of life that women have some difficult choices to make when balancing family and work commitments.

“Overall, the review has taken a commonsense approach. On employment, it is right to focus on the need for positive action to encourage under-represented groups in the workplace by targeting them at schools, universities and through recruitment advertisements.

“Employers will need to be convinced, however, that completely overhauling all equality regulations into a new single act will deliver real benefits. There is a risk it will only make work for the lawyers.”