Nelson Mandela

The Nobel Peace Prize winner died at the age of 95 in December in his home in Johannesburg. He will be remembered for his great generosity of spirit, his tireless perseverance for justice and equality, and his powerful message of reconciliation. In one of his many famous speeches, he said ‘to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others’.

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How will your organisation celebrate Human Rights Day?

Human Rights Day in December 2013 had special significance as 2013 was the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the mandate of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. As a result, the British Institute of Human Rights has created a website with a wealth of materials. Are your staff aware of these resources?

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Avoiding claims for pregnancy and maternity discrimination

The Equality and Human Rights Commission recently announced that it intends to investigate pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace. Pregnancy and maternity are protected characteristics covered under the Equality Act 2010, but discrimination often takes place in subtle ways. Would your staff realise that their actions might amount to unfavourable treatment?

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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – is this fully integrated into your safeguarding policy?

In March of 2013 I reported on the issue of female genital mutilation, following widespread press coverage. A new report has recently been published, calling for interagency collaboration in the identification, recording and reporting of FGM.

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Is race hate speech always race hate speech?

Is it ever ok to use the ‘N’ word, ‘P’ word, ‘Y’ word? Can a community ‘reclaim’ a word that has been used against them in the past as a term of abuse? Do you and your staff agree with David Cameron that using the word is ok if its use is not motivated by hate?

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