NHS Ayrshire & Arran has been awarded Equally Safe at Work development accreditation following a 12-month pilot programme. The accreditation demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to prevent violence against women and to promote gender equality within the organisation.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran is one of only four NHS Boards to take part in the pilot.
Equally Safe at Work is an innovative employer accreditation programme developed by Close the Gap, Scotland’s expert policy advocacy organisation working on women’s labour market equality. It supports employers to improve their employment practice to advance gender equality at work and prevent violence against women and girls.
Jennifer Wilson, Nurse Director, explained: ““Being part of the pilot in the NHS has given us the opportunity to focus on gender inequality using a structured approach to take forward actions for improvement.
“Our ultimate aims are to ensure gender equality within our practices and processes and to demonstrate our commitment to preventing violence against women. Close the Gap supported us to develop improved gender-sensitive practice.
“Violence against women is both a cause and consequence of wider gender inequality. Therefore, addressing gender inequality in the workplace is a fundamental step in preventing violence against women.”
Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director of Close the Gap, said: “We’re delighted to award development accreditation to NHS Ayrshire & Arran, which is a sector leader on gender equality at work. Violence against women affects all aspects of women’s lives, including the workplace. It can make it difficult for victim-survivors to do their job well, prevents them from progressing, and in some cases forces them out of their job altogether. For employers, this can mean reduced productivity, the cost of managing unplanned absences, and higher staff turnover.
“The Equally Safe at Work programme is a tried and tested way for employers to improve their practice, tackle the gender pay gap and better support victim-survivors in the workplace. Employers that take steps to advance gender equality at work are more innovative, more productive, better able to manage skills gaps, and are more protected from the costly risk of discrimination.” For more information about Equally Safe at Work, visit www.equallysafeatwork.scot