International Womens Day 2011
On 8 March 2011 we marked the centenary of International Women's Day by highlighting our work to promote equality for women.
Centenary messages
Commissioner Kay Carberry, Theresa May MP and Yvette Cooper MP reflect on the significance of 100 years of International Women's Day.
International celebrations
Find out how the day is being marked in Britain, elsewhere and by the UN; resources about its history and today's issues.
This year's theme
Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women
How Fair is Britain for women?
Our first Triennial Review published in October took the temperature of equality in Britain. We have drawn out the issues from the review that are particularly relevant to gender equality.
Who runs Wales? 2011
The Commission in Wales has today published Who Runs Wales? 2011: A century of steps towards gender equality. This report provides a snapshot of who sits in positions of power and influence in Welsh life. Read the report.
Look out for the next edition of Sex and Power, later in 2011. The 2008 survey found it would take 200 years for women to be equally represented in Parliament.
Working for women's equality
UN Convention shadow reports
We support the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in various ways including raising awareness of the Convention in Britain and monitoring its implementation.
Guide: Lever for Change
Our guide explains how individuals and groups can use CEDAW's Optional Protocol to bring complaints to the UN using the Convention.
Inquiry: Sex discrimation and the Finance Sector
Our Inquiry examined pay, policies and practices in the finance sector to see what steps need to be taken to reduce the pay gap.
Inquiry: Human Trafficking in Scotland
This Inquiry is assessing the nature of trafficking in Scotland with a particular focus on the sexual exploitation of women and girls.
Violence against Women
We have supported a number of initiatives to address violence against women. Currently the Commission in Wales is running an initiative to encourage businesses to help tackle domestic abuse.
Tackling sex discrimination
Equality Act guidance
The Equality Act 2010 has replaced the Sex Discrimination Act. Our guidance can help women who think they have suffered discrimination at work or with goods and services. It also helps employers and service providers to comply with the law. For pubic bodies, the forthcoming Public Sector Equality Duty will replace the Gender Equality Duty.
Equal Pay - good practice
We have produced extensive good practice guidance to help employers implement equal pay. These are currently being updated to incorporate changes from the Equality Act.
Working Better
This project explores new ways to organise work, particularly more flexible options that benefit those with caring responsibilities, many of whom are women.
Legal cases
Examples of the cases we support:
Woman dismissed from her care home job due to pregnancy
Equal pay case for women skills development workers
Pregnant woman denied promotion opportunities in the armed forces