Equality impact assessment
Introduction An '''equality impact assessment''' ('''EqIA''') is a process designed to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against any protected characteristic.
Definition The EqIA process aims to prevent discrimination against people who are members of a protected category. The Equality Act 2010 defines 9 protected characteristics:*Race*Religion or Belief*Disability*Sex*Gender Reassignment*Sexual Orientation*Age*Marriage or Civil Partnership *Pregnancy and Maternity Within the UK, EqIAs is a means of ensuring that the public sector equality duty is met. On 19 November 2012, then Prime Minister David Cameron announced that EqIAs would no longer be undertaken for government decisions.
See also *Social Impact Assessment*Environmental Impact Assessment*Health Impact Assessment*Sustainability Appraisal*Equality Act 2006*Equality Act 2010*Equal Opportunity
References
Further reading Bainard, J., Jones, A., Bateman, I., Lovett, A. & Fallon, P. (2001) Modellingenvironmental equity: access to air quality in Birmingham, England Environment andPlanning A 2002, volume 34, pages 695 – 716Burningham, K. & Thrush, D. (2001) Local environmental concerns in disadvantagedneighbourhoods Capacity Global (2004) BME Communities Tackling Environmental and SocialInequalities Davies, A. and Binsted, A. (2007) Environmental Equity and Equality Impact Assessment in the United Kingdom (07-1568) - TRB Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, TRB 86th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2007 Friends of the Earth (2000) Pollution injustice Friends of the Earth (2001) Pollution and Poverty – Breaking the LinkGay, R., Jeffery, B., and Saunders, P. (2005) Burden of disease: environmentalinequalities Greater London Authority (2003) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them  Transport for London (2004) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them Walker, G. Fairburn, J. Smith, G. and Mitchell, G. (2003) Environmental Quality andSocial Deprivation
External links * UK Equality Act 2006 * UK Equality Bill 2009* IDEA EqIA guidance* TfL EqIA guidance