Equalities

Green Party policies on equality and diversity are based on core principles of recognising rights and responsibilities and that a healthy society is based on voluntary cooperation between empowered individuals, free from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, social origin or any other prejudice.

In respect of rights, the Green Party goes beyond the liberal notion of individual rights, which fails to recognise that the current inequitable distribution of resources means that individuals and groups with the most power claim their rights, and those with less power find their rights denied. The rights of minority and less powerful groups suffer. For the Green Party, individual rights are vitally important, but in addition it is important to ensure that all minorities, as well as less powerful groups, are enabled to flourish. This requires positive action on the part of the state and employers.

In terms of responsibilities, the Green Party considers that everybody has a responsibility for ensuring the absence of discrimination. So this is not only an issue of state action and legal protection, but a duty that falls to us all to ensure there is no discrimination and that all are allowed to flourish.

Ethnicity and Race

There continues to be discrimination on grounds of race and ethnic origin, both directly and indirectly and deliberately and inadvertently in many areas of life. The Green Party:

Seeks to promote a positive attitude to cultural difference and the contribution of minority communities, both more settled communities and recent migrants. This should be the responsibility of the education system, as well as local and central government, employers and community organisations. It is particularly important in this time of economic downturn for more to be done to recognise their enormous contribution.
Supports action to root out discrimination in the provision of services -- in particular policing, mental health services and immigration -- as well as in our broader social and cultural life. It is very important to ensure that our television and theatre are truly diverse and able to challenge stereotypes.
Would ensure that our criminal justice system does not engage in stereotyping. It would work to end poor policing practice that can lead to feelings of alienation and disenfranchisement. These currently affect minority ethnic communities and undermine social cohesion.
Would ensure the UK takes the lead in having an immigration and nationality policy that does not discriminate on grounds of race or ethnicity. Local Green Party branches around the country have worked to support asylum-seekers who are unfairly threatened with removal.
Promotes greater political representation and participation in public life, especially of women from ethnic minority communities, who often face double discrimination.
In terms of employment, seeks to ensure positive action is taken to address limited representation in certain careers and professions, and at the higher level of many industries and professions. This is not simply a question of preventing discrimination in individual cases, but addressing broader social problems, including poverty and low levels of work, as well as a lack of role models and low aspirations amongst the minority communities and stereotyping amongst the majority community. Schools need to work on instilling in children a sense of cultural pride and confidence. Action at a community level to show respect and recognition of other cultures is important.

The Green Party is seeking greater internal representation of people from minority ethnic communities at all levels of the party, including those seeking elected office in winnable seats. We would very much welcome views from members and from potential members about what we can do to encourage this and dismantle any barriers. Please contact us and make your views known!

Gender

Gender equality is a fundamental element of Green Party thinking and policy. The Green Party has a long history of seeking to ensure full participation by women in the life of the Green Party and until 2008 always had a male and female principal speaker instead of a leader. In 2008, the Green Party elected a woman, Caroline Lucas, as its first leader, making her the only female leader of a major political party at this time. Its constitution continues to demand gender balance between the leader and deputy leader, or co-leader, positions.

Green Party Women was founded in 2008. It built on the strong network created by the party's Woman by Name E-group and a conference for Women in Green Party Politics. It is a group within the Green Party dedicated to the promotion of gender equality within the party; development of policies relating to women; and working with organisations across the country to address issues affecting women. Its first political move has been to sign up to the Women and the Vote campaign for greater political representation. For more information see the Green Party Women website.

To promote equality while recognizing diversity, the Green Party:

Seeks to increase the numbers of women in political life both at Westminster and the European Parliament as well as at local levels from tenants' and residents' associations and school governor posts, to our local councils. The Green Party already has a large proportion of women in elected office. Both our MEPs in early 2009 are women, 1 out of 2 of our London Assembly members is a woman and approximately one third of our councillors are women.
Seeks to ensure that women do not face glass ceilings at work and that they are encouraged and permitted to stretch themselves in their career aspirations and achieve their full potential at work. The party calls for a requirement on major companies to have at least 40 per cent of their boards female (as is now the case in Norway).
Seeks to ensure that equal pay for work of equal value is a reality rather than simply a theoretical legal right (by legislating to ensure that large companies carry out equal pay audits, with the results publicly available, and allowing unions to take joint cases to court).
Would ensure the invaluable contribution of so many women to bringing up children is fully recognised through our benefits system. Greens call for a "citizen's income", which would provide such a level of benefits.
For mothers, the party wants to improve maternity service, calling for a full range of birth options to be available to all women, and supporting midwifery-led care along the model provided by independent midwives.
Has developed a detailed plan for services to support victims of domestic abuse, including domestic violence, and calls for relationship education to inculcate values of respect for others and respect for difference will be provided in schools and other appropriate environments.
Seeks to ensure that working hours allow for a work-life balance. Jean Lambert, MEP, has been working on a European level to support EU-wide working practices that allow more time for women and men to devote to family life and other commitments. This is especially important as the economy enters a downturn and work needs to be shared out more equitably. But is also important to recognise that this adds to the well-being of us all.
Would decriminalise prostitution on the New Zealand model. Criminalisation forces workers to operate in a way that makes them more vulnerable to violent clients, and encourages police forces and other authorities to treat them as criminals, even when they are victims of serious crimes. Green Party policy calls for the focus on sex workers to shift to their safety and wellbeing. Greens were part of the coalition that successfully fought against proposed clauses in the 2008 Criminal Justice Bill that would have effectively forced those arrested into compulsory "rehabilitation" under threat of imprisonment.

Sexual Orientation and LGBT rights

The Green Party has worked consistently to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. The Green Party, including its LGBT group, along with prominent Green Party member Peter Tatchell and many others, has campaigned against such discrimination and has been effective in bringing continuing concerns to the attention of the public. The Green Party would:

Ensure that the Equality and Human Rights Commission regards homophobia and transphobia as being on a par with all other forms of discrimination
Remove the exemption granted to religious institutions to discriminate against people on grounds of their sexual orientation.
Open up full civil marriage to same sex partners and lobby other governments to recognise UK same sex partnerships and marriages.
Ensure all schools provide sex education that covers the diversity of sexualities and gender identities; create supportive environments for LGBT staff and students; and address bullying on grounds of sexual orientation.
Withdraw charitable status from discriminatory organisations such as religious schools.
Ensure asylum is granted to LGBT people fleeing homophobic or transphobic persecution.
Amend hate crimes legislation to outlaw the performance, sale, promotion and broadcasting of music and other arts that incite hatred and violence.
Require police forces to adopt and implement effective action plans on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.
Ensure the UK Government adopts a policy on the promotion of LGBT human rights internationally and acts to help end LGBT human rights violations around the world.

For more information see the Green Party LGBT Group website.

Disability

The Green Party operates from the social model of disability, which regards society's response to disability as being the problem, rather than the medical model of disability, which focuses on the attributes of disabled people and offers charity rather than rights. The social model demands an integrated society: not just integrating disabled people into a non-disabled world but re-defining society according to the perspectives of all people, not just the non-disabled.

The Green Party:

Supports an integrated educational system and a presumption that all schools can provide for the needs of disabled pupils and that adequate state funding should be provided for this purpose. It is recognised that in respect of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties a balance must be struck between their needs and those of others around them, but considers that on the whole these children do not need to be permanently segregated.
Will seek to make all public buildings, facilities and services fully accessible and ensure through reform of the Building Regulations that new buildings are accessible to disabled people.
Will put together a comprehensive plan for fully accessible transport so that public transport is usable by all. In addition, the necessary arrangements will be made to meet any extra reasonable transportation needs of disabled people that go beyond that which can be provided for by general public services.
Will review existing disability discrimination legislation to ensure that it provides the highest level of protection feasible for disabled people
Will set up an independent monitoring commission made up of disabled people to check the effectiveness of legislation and policy relating to disability and will be fully involved in reviewing and reforming the law.
Will raise public awareness about the day-to -day barriers faced by disabled people and how they feel oppressed.
Will put in place a Citizen's Income which ensures that disabled people as well as able-bodied people are able to have a decent standard of living and live with dignity.

Class

The Green Party recognises that certain social classes have less direct political representation and are less able to assert their rights. This includes people from disadvantaged social backgrounds, including the large numbers of people who have suffered from long-term unemployment.

The Green Party supports greater representation of people of such backgrounds in our elected institutions and other government and quasi-government bodies. Our broader social and economic policies support a more equitable distribution of income through higher taxes on those with higher incomes, through the citizens' income, and through shorter working hours, which will enable employment opportunities to be spread more equitably. For more information, see our economic policy.

Religion

Some religious groups are vulnerable and need protection against hate crimes and to ensure that their members are able to practise their religion and customs without discrimination. But the Green Party believes that discriminatory practices by religious groups, for example in relation to gender or sexual orientation, are not acceptable.

Islamophobia is also a growing phenomenon of recent years. Action by governments is required to address this.

Age

Children and young people also require the support of the state. The Green Party supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and would ensure that the Convention is fully incorporated into UK law. For more details see the 'Education and Young People' policy.

Older people also require protection against discrimination in employment as well as provision of goods and services. The Green Party supports legislation against age discrimination, and would ensure that EC law in this area is properly implemented. We also demand appropriate housing, benefits and healthcare provision, and we will work to ensure that we have good public services that provide properly for older people, ensuring respect and dignity for all.

Refugees

Asylum and refugee policy should honour fully the right to asylum enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (as amended by the 1967 Protocol). Refugee status should therefore be offered to applicants who, owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, are outside their country of nationality and are unable or, owing to this fear, are unwilling to return to it.

Following this, the Green Party would make sure legislation is in place to ensure that:

Asylum policy does not discriminate on grounds of race, colour, religion, nationality, political belief, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
Asylum-seekers are given clear information about their rights and entitlements in English and their mother-tongue.
No asylum-seeker should be held in detention other than in the most exceptional circumstances.
Every asylum-seeker should have the right to legal advice and representation, supported by legal aid, for asylum applications and appeals.
Every asylum-seeker should have a right of appeal to an independent tribunal against detention and before deportation or removal.
Applications for refugee status should be dealt with quickly and fairly, normally within three months. After three months, an applicant should receive equal rights with residents in access to public services until a decision is made.
Asylum-seekers and refugees should have the right to be joined by their partner and their partner's immediate family.
People seeking asylum should be entitled to full welfare benefits and to citizens' income, when introduced.
Young asylum-seekers should be allowed to stay in the UK until they reach 18 years of age.
There should be no restrictions on asylum-seekers taking work.

Travellers

The Green Party:

Recognises that travelling people have ancient, valuable and valid lifestyles and cultures, and have a right to preserve these. Anti-discrimination legislation should ensure equal rights for, along with obligations from, travellers as citizens, without imposing unwanted conformity to the values and lifestyle of the dominant culture.
We would seek to ensure that there are sufficient sites for travellers across the country and that their different way of life is respected and valued. We would also seek to ensure that stereotypes about them are challenged and contested.

General

We actively challenge media stereotyping of all disadvantaged groups. We actively promote an inclusive and open-minded culture in which minority views can be formulated and expressed and we welcome opinions and examples from outside the party to improve our practice on these issues.

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More detail

Equalities sections of full policy document