Sex and gender in data guidance: equality impact assessment

Stage 1: Framing

Results of framing exercise

The guidance is needed because currently there is no standard way that data on men and women is being collected, and when it is collected it is often not being used. This impacts on our understanding of how people of certain groups/characteristics access, use and experience public services, and/or experience discrimination.

Better data collection should mean a higher quality of data available for public bodies and the government to use to base decisions on. Collecting data in a way that captures the diversity of people in Scotland ought to reflect the population and enable the design of appropriate services.

It will affect a large number of people - women, men, service users, service providers generally because it will determine how data is collected from them. It is also likely to affect women - some argue that it is important to collect data on the basis of biological sex as they consider discrimination against women is mostly rooted in their biology. It will also impact trans people who will be asked to complete the data capture forms and therefore the recommended questions should be capable of capturing their sex and trans status.

In time, there should be a marked improvement in the quality of data collected on men and women, and a source of data on trans population in Scotland.

Extent/Level of EQIA required

A full equality impact assessment is required. Ultimately the recommended questions in the guidance will influence how data on women, men and trans people are collected (sex and gender reassignment are the protected characteristics). The guidance will also be used to encourage an intersectional approach, and therefore have potentially wider impacts on equality groups.