Equality

Many thousands of people in Wales are unable to make the most of their talents because of who they are or where they live. Ill-health, lack of skills and fragmented communities take a terrible toll on people’s lives.

We’re determined that everyone should enjoy a ‘good life’, no matter what their characteristics are, so that they can flourish and fulfill their potential.

Gang Of Teenagers Hanging Out In Urban Environment

Why it matters

Income, gender, ethnicity, disability and age have a profound impact on people’s chances and literally waste lives:

• A child who receives Free School Meals is half as likely to get five good GCSEs as children from better off homes

• A man from the most deprived areas of Wales has 18 fewer years of life in good health  than someone from the least deprived areas.

• Community tensions mean that one in five people from an ethnic or religious minority has experienced harassment or abuse recently.

There are few signs that things are getting better and some signs that they’re getting worse.

Our aim

We want everyone to have the chance of a ‘good life’, no matter who they are or where they live.  Our ambition is to close the gap in opportunities for children and young people from low-income families, reduce the burden of ill-health in deprived areas and improve community relationships across Wales.

What we’re doing

We’re striving to understand the root causes of inequality, to develop practical solutions and to persuade decision-makers, practitioners and people experiencing poverty to take action.

Our recent and current projects include:

• Better opportunities for young people in Wales

• Rethinking health inequalities

Other projects are in the pipeline waiting for funding.

What we’ve already done

Our solutions create lasting change.

• We’ve helped to close the attainment gap at GCSE level

• We’ve helped change the way people are supported to quit smoking

• We’ve helped set the EHRC’s equalities agenda

To keep up-to-date with our activities to reduce inequality sign up to Spark, our monthly e-newsletter

Find out about our new Equality Partner, Community »