Equality Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 215:"Page 46, line 37, at end insert ““, and" (c)   to promote equality of opportunity for those with unpaid responsibilities for the care of other persons”” The noble Baroness said: I shall be brief, given the hour. This is a probing amendment intended to explore whether, within the duty to promote equality, the caring role of men and women will be recognised by the public bodies covered by the duty in the way they design their services and employment practices. The Equality Commission in Northern Ireland has caring as a separate strand in itself and a positive duty on public bodies, including promoting equality,"““between persons with dependents and persons without””." That illustrates that such a provision is feasible. Like the race and disability duties already legislated for, the duty to promote will shift the balance of responsibilities from the individual to the organisation. It will be for a public body to ensure that it is promoting sex equality instead of simply for the individual to challenge discrimination after it has occurred. At the same time, it will not remove the rights of the individual in any way to challenge discrimination that might occur, but it should ensure that practices and procedures are improved for the many, thereby preventing discrimination. The reason for this probing amendment is twofold, covering fathers and carers. Increasingly, fathers want to play an active part in caring for their children. Yet society is still working on the assumption and the reality that mothers are main carers of children. A public service provider should correctly interpret the gender duty to mean that they have to adjust their services to reach men as well as women. Similarly, for those with caring responsibilities, the gender divide is more evenly split. The Government are proposing to extend the right to request flexible working to carers, and that is welcome. But because caring does not simply divide along gender lines, unless the needs of carers are spelt out, they may well still be missed. The amendment would guarantee that that is not the case, and I hope that my noble friend will see its value. I beg to move.