Committee
Equal Opportunities Committee, 25 Apr 2000
25 Apr 2000 · S1 · Equal Opportunities Committee
Item of business
Engender
Fiona Forsyth:
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Our meeting with the minister was only two weeks ago, so the Scottish Executive is still discussing our recommendations. It was acknowledged that there is a lack of expertise in the finance department: while it accepts that considering cross-cutting issues such as equality and social inclusion is a good idea, it recognises that in practice it will be difficult for it to do so. There appeared to be some willingness to consider those issues, but the report "Investing in You", which has just been published, has no gender impact analysis at all, which is disappointing. We have recommended that someone should be seconded to work especially with finance department officials to improve understanding in the department by adapting methodology that has already been developed elsewhere, for example in Canada and South Africa.
The Treasury is in discussion with the women's budget group in London, so there is a precedent. There is a willingness on the department's part to consider those issues, but Engender is disappointed that "Investing in You" is gender blind.
The Treasury is in discussion with the women's budget group in London, so there is a precedent. There is a willingness on the department's part to consider those issues, but Engender is disappointed that "Investing in You" is gender blind.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
I welcome Fiona Forsyth and Irene Graham, who will give evidence to the committee on the budget process, which will be helpful for our consideration of the p...
Fiona Forsyth (Engender):
Thank you for the invitation to give evidence on gender issues and the budget. I am speaking on behalf of Engender and the Scottish women's budget group, whi...
The Convener:
Lab
Thank you Fiona. Irene Graham, do you wish to add anything at this stage?
Irene Graham (Engender):
No.
The Convener:
Lab
Fiona, could you explain the gender analysis toolkit?
Fiona Forsyth:
We recently had a seminar with the Canadian high commission at which we learned a lot about how Canada, which has 25 years' experience of this issue, has app...
The Convener:
Lab
I open this discussion to questions from committee members.
Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab):
Lab
I was interested to hear what you said about social inclusion partnerships. Can you expand on that? I have experience of my local social inclusion partnershi...
Irene Graham:
On the last point, research has been commissioned to look at the impact of social inclusion partnerships on women in four areas. That research is currently w...
Johann Lamont:
Lab
Is part of the problem that we currently think of social inclusion partnership decisions and budgeting decisions as being gender neutral? How do we win the p...
Irene Graham:
There is not an easy answer to that. In her introduction to "Gender Audit 2000" Wendy Alexander says that a common assumption is that women have reached equa...
Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
You make a number of recommendations in your report, which you have repeated in your evidence today. For example, you recommend that Scottish spending plans ...
Fiona Forsyth:
Our meeting with the minister was only two weeks ago, so the Scottish Executive is still discussing our recommendations. It was acknowledged that there is a ...
Irene McGugan:
SNP
Is finding the correct and most effective mechanisms to take this forward the main issue?
Fiona Forsyth:
We want to ensure that the process is better for next year. We are talking about developing a framework and embedding processes so that in the future we shou...
Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
You have mentioned the different tools that can be used to make a gender impact assessment and the Canadian model. Engender must have come to a conclusion as...
Fiona Forsyth:
In relation to the gender impact assessment mechanisms that the Scottish Executive should use, a fairly technical methodology has been developed, which is wh...
Irene Graham:
Shona Robison asked about what we might see as the difference between the role of the Scottish Executive and that of the Scottish Parliament. What came clear...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
You spoke about your disappointment that "Investing in You" does not include a gender impact assessment. You recommend that an adviser be attached to the fin...
Fiona Forsyth:
The equality unit is a small part of the Scottish Executive and it is not very well resourced. As Irene Graham said, we would ideally want all the department...
Tricia Marwick:
SNP
Is there a danger in suggesting that there should be advisers when there might already be a mechanism for doing this in the unit, which is, in your words, un...
Irene Graham:
Yvonne Strachan, of the equality unit, was at the seminar. She gave an account of how the equality unit is working. A concern from Engender's perspective is ...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab):
Lab
It is as if every door we open leads to another—it is such a big process. Where do you think that we should start? Presumably, each committee should be exami...
Fiona Forsyth:
It is a huge area. However, we can draw on the experience of other countries. We are at the beginning of a process, which should help. We can draw on the exp...
Irene Graham:
Scottish Enterprise could consider what is happening in Europe. The Equal Opportunities Commission has developed a toolkit for mainstreaming equality, which ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
A review of the local enterprise companies is currently under way and I do not know whether that has taken gender on board. That is one of the problems for t...
Irene Graham:
Local authorities take some, but not all, of the decisions about the voluntary sector. The lottery plays an increasingly significant role in funding the volu...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
The examples of what is happening in other countries are very helpful. I know that you have visited South Africa, Irene, to find out about the fairly radical...
Irene Graham:
What was striking about South Africa was that they are gender proofing their budgets. They are examining the impact of all their budgets on women. That is ha...
Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD):
LD
You have demonstrated that the issues are complex and broad and that we still have a long way to go. As you said, our Canadian colleagues have been doing it ...