Positive Action for Women in Britain

Employers' programs to improve women's opportunities in Britain started in the late 1970s after Equal Pay, Sex Discrimination, and Race Relations legislation had been passed. While equal opportunity is now on employers' agendas, activity is limited to a small number of well-known organizations whose programs often lack specific targets. In this, Britain does not differ much from other European Community countries. Action programs for women in Britain are more common than those for ethnic minorities, despite parallel legislation. Britain leads the rest of Europe, however, in its approaches to racial discrimination. Equal opportunity employers are now starting action programs for people with disabilities, though they are not covered by antidiscrimination legislation. Results are awaited from the strong religious antidiscrimination legislation in Northern Ireland and from European Economic Community attempts to strengthen legislation to assist women.