Government Equalities Office

The Government Equalities Office is a new self-standing Department, whose mission is to put equality at the heart of Government. The GEO is responsible for the Government’s overall strategy on equality, (including a new Equality Bill and Public Service Agreement) as well as leading on women’s issues across Government, and sponsoring the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Women’s National Commission. The GEO reports to the Ministers for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman and Maria Eagle.



On Thursday, 26 June 2008 the Minister for Women and Equality, the Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, made a statement to the House of Commons, repeated in the House of Lords by Baroness Andrews, setting out the main themes of the Equality Bill which will be introduced in Parliament in the next session.

On the same day the Government Equalities Office published Framework for a Fairer Future – the Equality Bill, which outlines the steps which will be taken to streamline and strengthen the law.

To read the document; The Equality Bill - Government Response to the Consultation, click here [ PDF 2.1Mb]

Hon Harriet Harman MP in the House of Commons yesterday

Black and Asian women are ‘Missing Voice of Local Democracy’
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equalities, will stress at a reception this evening in Westminster the need for local councils to have more Black, Asian and minority ethnic women as new data shows numbers have fallen back since 2006.
To view the press notice, click here.
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Fact Sheet
National Census of local authority councillors in England 2008
National census of local authority Councillors in England 2008 - key findings
Analysis of the views of candidates standing in local authority elections 2006-200



Photos : Ayoub Mzee