Fife Council praised for gender equality work with bronze accreditation

The council has received a bronze accreditation on the Equally Safe at Work employer programme. It was recognised for its commitment to women’s labour market equality as a sector leader on gender equality in local government.

Councillor David Ross, leader of Fife Council, said the accreditation comes after “significant work” undertaken by the council over the last 18 months.

He said: “I’m extremely pleased to accept the Equally Safe at Work award on behalf of Fife Council. As acknowledged by Close the Gap there has been significant work over the last 18 months that will contribute to the advancement of gender equality among the Council’s workforce.

“We will continue to work collaboratively across the Council and with Close the Gap to maintain our accreditation and demonstrate our commitment to gender equality.”

The accreditation was made by Close the Gap, Scotland’s expert policy advocacy organisation working on women’s labour market participation.

It developed Equally Safe at Work as an innovative employer accreditation programme designed to support employers in the public and third sector to prevent violence against women and advance gender equality at work.

Anna Ritchie Allan, executive director of Close the Gap, called Fife Council a “sector leader” on gender equality at work as she praised the authority.

She continued: “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.