National events strategy 2024 to 2035: equality impact assessment

Executive Summary

The Scottish Government has undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment as part of the refresh of the National Events Strategy. This Equality Impact Assessment Results Report provides a summary of the key findings from the detailed work undertaken to assess potential impacts.

This Equality Impact Assessment evaluates how the National Events Strategy 2024-2035 may affect different segments of the population both positively and negatively. There is also a proactive duty to promote equality. The development of the Equality Impact Assessment has been informed by the public sector equality duty which requires the Scottish Government to pay “due regard” to the need to meet its obligations under the Equality Act 2010.^[1] It considers the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.

The assessment has determined that there are no barriers as a result of the strategy for people with any of the protected characteristics. The strategy is expected to positively impact on eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and advance equality of opportunity across all protected characteristics. The strategy has no negative impacts in promoting good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Encouragingly, events can provide a vehicle to boost community wellbeing, pride, engagement and integration.

While events offer opportunities to boost equality for all of the protected characteristics, there are particular opportunities related to disabled and older people (primarily around boosting the accessibility of events); young people (building on the success of the 2018 Year of Young People and focusing on participation, empowerment, workforce, volunteering and skills development); the LGBTI community; and multi-cultural communities (enhancing the cultural diversity of events, boosting inclusion and community engagement). There are also other related opportunities focusing on people with intersecting identities and the other protected groups.

Building on the key findings from the Equality Impact Assessment process, the refreshed National Events Strategy 2024-2035 highlights inclusive events as a priority theme. The strategy also highlights potential actions that will be considered further as part of implementation.

This is a sector-led, rather than Scottish Government owned and led strategy. Its drafting has been led by VisitScotland with input from the Scottish Government and other lead partners including the Event Industry Advisory Group, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Trade Unions. The refreshed strategy is an advisory document and will be delivered in partnership with the events sector, Scottish Government, VisitScotland and other ‘Team Scotland’ partners.

The Scottish Government, VisitScotland and other lead public sector partners are committed to working with the events sector to actively consider equality impacts during the implementation of the National Events Strategy 2024-2035.

Implementation of the strategy may result in the need for further bespoke Equality Impact Assessments for some actions. These assessments will be taken forward by the lead organisation as appropriate. This will help ensure any positive impacts are maximised. We do not expect that any negative impacts on individuals with protected characteristics – direct or indirect – will flow from the implementation of the strategy. However, given the strategy’s 11 years life, we are not complacent. These bespoke impact assessments will also provide an important opportunity to check for any negative impacts and, should these be identified, to ensure they are addressed and mitigated as required.