This duty places the onus on organisations to demonstrate fair treatment of women and men in the delivery of policy and services as well as in their employment. The gender equality duty requires public authorities to pay due regard to promoting gender equality and eliminating sex discrimination. This means service providers and public sector employers will have to design employment and services with the different needs of women and men in mind. It will require public bodies to set their own gender equality goals in consultation with their service users and employers and to take action to achieve them.
* Public service providers will need to look at who uses their services, and ask: * what are the priority issues for women and men in the services we provide? * do they have different needs within some services? * will women or men be put off using a service because of lack of childcare or an unsafe or unwelcoming environment? * are there some services which are more effectively delivered as women-only or men-only?
Public sector employers would also need to look at their employment practices and consider the needs of all their staff, including those that identify as transgender or transsexual. We should see increased childcare provision and more flexible working as public bodies respond to the needs of parents and carers.