Unequal impact: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact on people with protected characteristics
The Women and Equalities Committee has launched an inquiry and wants to hear about the different and disproportionate impact that the Coronavirus – and measures to tackle it – is having on people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act.
The Committee has been concerned to hear that people with protected characteristics are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and the Government’s response, including the emergency Coronavirus Bill. They are particularly interested to hear about what impact these measures have had, and will continue to have, and whether the Government’s aim to support workers and people more widely have considered all relevant equality impacts.
SAL is contributing to that inquiry and members can share their insights to inform SAL’s response to the inquiry. Please complete the QUESTIONNAIRE here and e-mail it to, secretary@societyofasianlawyers.co.uk by 24th April 2020.
The Committee is calling for written submissions about:
- How people have been affected by the illness or the response to it
- If there have been specific impacts on people due to them having a protected characteristic
- Whether there may be unforeseen consequences to measures brought in to ease the burden on frontline staff, for example relaxing the measures under the Mental Health Act and Care Act.
The deadline to make contributions to the inquiry is 30 April 2020. Please let us have your submissions by 24th April 2020. This will allow us to collate and forward your submissions to The Committee. Submissions will be forwarded on behalf of SAL and so your details will not be disclosed.
The Committee will use any information collated to press the Government to reconsider the current measures at the three-week review
Supporting our members
As well as questions specifically related to the inquiry, we have also included some more general questions to allow us to better understand the position our members are in and how we can support them at this time.
Please share your experiences of COVID-19 and fill in a QUESTIONNAIRE now.