Equality

Rural Housing Association is designated as a public authority for the purposes of Equality in accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Our Equality Scheme has been developed to outline a plan for ensuring the consideration of equality issues is at the forefront in all our decision making. The scheme sets out how Rural Housing Association proposes to fulfil the Section 75 statutory duties across all our functions including service provision, employment and procurement.

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act) requires public authorities, in carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations across a range of categories outlined:

  • between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
  • between men and women generally
  • between persons with a disability and persons without
  • between persons with dependants and persons without.

In addition, without prejudice to its obligations above, the Act requires that we have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.

We are committed to developing and delivering a programme of communication and training with the aim of ensuring that all our staff and board members are fully aware of our equality scheme and understand the commitments and obligations within it.

We also commit to having effective internal arrangements in place for ensuring our effective compliance with the Section 75 statutory duties and for monitoring and reviewing our progress.

We realise the important role that the community and voluntary sector and the general public have to play to ensure the Section 75 statutory duties are effectively implemented.