Useful links

From October 2007 the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) will become part of a wider equality body, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). The CEHR will take over the functions of the EOC on tackling sex discrimination and promoting gender equality. It will also take over the similar functions of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) in respect of race equality; and from the Disability Rights Commission(DRC) regarding disability equality. In addition, it will have new powers to tackle discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, religion or belief and age, as well to promote human rights for all.

The CEHR will continue our work to promote the key gender equality issues identified by the EOC. Other organisations also believe these issues are very important and will continue to take forward this work within their own remit, or in partnership with the CEHR. If you would like to contact them to find out more or to get involved with the issues through them, please follow the links in this section.

Closing the Income Gap
Supporting Modern Families
Modernising Public Services
Tackling Violence and Ensuring Safer Communities
Sharing Power

* The EOC is not responsible for the content of the linked websites and we do not necessarily endorse all the views expressed within them. Neither can we guarantee that these links will work all of the time nor have control over the reliability or availability of linked sites.

Closing the income gap

Organisations that are working to close the income gap between women and men and who will continue to lobby for change for greater equality between women and men include the following:

Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR)
From October 2007 the CEHR will take over the role that the Equal Opportunities Commission has had since1976 to tackle sex discrimination and promote gender equality.
www.cehr.org.uk

Fawcett Society
Fawcett campaigns for equality between women and men in the UK on pay, pensions, poverty, justice and politics.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

Women's National Commission
The official, independent, advisory body giving the views of women to the Government. It is the only organisation of this kind in the UK. It aims to ensure that women's views are taken into account by the Government and are heard in public debate.
www.thewnc.org.uk

Trade Union Congress (TUC)
The TUC campaigns for a fair deal at work and for social justice at home and abroad. The TUC is the umbrella for Trade Unions in the UK
www.tuc.org.uk

Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
www.cpag.org.uk

Low Pay Commission
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) was established as a result of the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 to advise the Government about the National Minimum Wage.
www.lowpay.gov.uk

Scottish Low Pay Unit
An independent organisation committed to improving the position of low paid workers in Scotland.
www.slpu.org.uk

The Tiger (Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights)
This interactive guidance within the Direct Gov website can be used by workers, employers, professional advisers or anyone with an interest in knowing how the national minimum wage law works.
www.direct.gov.uk

Women's Budget Group (WBG)
The Women's Budget Group is an independent organisation bringing together individuals from academia, non-governmental organisations and trades unions to promote gender equality through appropriate economic policy.
www.wbg.org.uk

Supporting modern families

Organisations that are working to improve support for modern families and transform the way we work and care, which in turn will bring greater equality between women and men include the following:

Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG is the leading charity campaigning for the abolition of child poverty in the UK and for a better deal for low-income families and children.
www.cpag.org.uk

One Parent Families
One Parent Families believes we can build a fairer society for all families, in which lone parents and their children are not disadvantaged and do not suffer from poverty, isolation, or social exclusion
www.oneparentfamilies.org.uk

The Daycare Trust
Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity working to promote high quality childcare for all.
www.daycaretrust.org.uk

Working Families
Working Families is the UK's leading work-life balance organisation.They help and give a voice to working parents and carers, whilst also helping employers create workplaces which encourage work-life balance.
www.workingfamilies.org.uk

Fathers Direct
Fathers Direct is the national information centre on fatherhood.
www.fathersdirect.com

Families need Fathers
Families need Fathers provides support on shared parenting issues arising from family breakdown. Their primary concern is maintaining the child's relationship with both parents.
www.fnf.org.uk

Carers UK
Carers UK is the voice of carers fighting to end injustice and for recognition of the contribution made by carers to society.
www.carersuk.org

Age Concern
The UK's largest charity working with and for older people.
www.ageconcern.org.uk

National Childbirth Trust
NCT is the leading UK charity for pregnancy, birth and parenting.
www.nct.org.uk

Mothers Union
A Christian organisation working and caring for families worldwide
www.themothersunion.org

The Office for Disability Issues
The Office for Disability Issues is the focal point within government to coordinate disability policy across all departments
www.officefordisability.gov.uk

Joseph Rowntree Association
One of the largest social policy and research development charities in the UK who seek to better understand the causes of social difficulties and explore ways of overcoming them.
www.jrf.org.uk

Disability Alliance
Disability Alliance aims to break the link between poverty and disability. It provides information on social security benefits and tax credits to disabled people, their families, carers and professional advisers; and undertakes research into the income needs of disabled people.
www.disabilityalliance.org

Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
RCM seeks to inform and influence the development of policy that affects both midwives and the women and children for whom they care.
www.rcm.org.uk

Modernising public services

Organisations that are working to modernise public services so that they are better suited to our needs as women and men include the following:

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
Umbrella organisation giving voice and support to voluntary and community organisations.
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
SCVO is the national body representing the voluntary sector in scotland.
www.scvo.org.uk/scvo/

Mens Health Forum (MHF)
MHF works to improve male health and wellbeing in England and Wales.
www.menshealthforum.org.uk

Men's Health Forum Scotland (MHFS)
MHFS exists to raise men's health awareness in Scotland.
www.mhfs.org.uk

NHS Employers
NHS Employers aims to help employers improve the working lives of NHS staff as a path to better patient care.
www.nhsemployers.org

DirectGov
Umbrella information website for all public services.
www.direct.gov.uk

Tackling violence and ensuring safer communities

Organisations that are working to tackle gender-related violence and ensure safer communities for women and men include the following:

Rape Crisis
Rape Crisis is the umbrella organisation for rape crisis groups across the UK, offering support and information that survivors of sexual violence, friends and family need to access the services they need.
www.rapecrisis.org.uk

End Violence against Women
This is a coalition of individuals and organisations, including survivors, campaigners and service providers, who are calling on the Government, public bodies and others to take concerted action to end violence against women.
www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk

Women's Aid
Women's Aid works to end domestic violence against women and children and supports a network of over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the UK
www.womensaid.org.uk

Amnesty
Amnesty's purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied. It is a movement of ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights.
www.amnesty.org.uk

Refuge
Refuge provides a network of safe houses for women and children when they are most in need as a result of domestic violence.
www.refuge.org.uk

Suzy Lamplugh Trust
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust provides practical support and personal safety guidance to reduce fear of crime and develop skills and strategies for keeping safe.
www.suzylamplugh.org

Womankind Worldwide
Womankind Worldwide enables women to articulate their needs and ideas so that they can improve their lives and lift their families and communities out of poverty.
www.womankind.org.uk

Sharing power

Organisations that are working to close the 'power gap' and bring about greater equality between women and men include the following:

Fawcett Society
Fawcett campaigns for equality between women and men in the UK on pay, pensions, poverty, justice and politics. Fawcett's Equal Power: 2028 is a campaign to get public support for equal power between women and men.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society campaigns to change the way we choose our politicians, believing that a fair voting system will improve democracy, allow politicians to better represent people and help them to tackle the serious issues facing our society.
www.electoral-reform.org.uk