Equality and human rights mainstreaming strategy

Ministerial Foreword

As Minister for Equalities, I am committed to embedding equality and human rights into everything this government does.

Scotland is a country built on values of fairness, dignity, and respect. These are not abstract ideals, they are the foundations of our communities, our public services, and our shared future. Yet too many people still face barriers to living full and equal lives.

That is why this Strategy matters. This is about making sure our systems, services, and spending work together for everyone. We will not let division and inequality define Scotland. We will continue to invest in a future where equality and human rights are not just aspirations, but everyday realities, for everyone who calls Scotland home.

Equal opportunities are largely reserved. This limits the Scottish Government’s legal powers in this area. That is why it is vital to embed equality and human rights wherever we can. We must use every lever available to us to ensure that our decisions, services, and investments reflect our commitment to fairness and inclusion.

This is not about asking our public services to do more but we must all do better. It means using the resources we have wisely and fairly to deliver meaningful change. Now, more than ever, we must work together to build a Scotland that is fairer, more inclusive, and where equality and human rights shape every decision, every service, and every outcome. We are committed to making these principles a core part of how decisions are made; not as an add-on, but as a foundation of our work that benefits everyone, especially those most often left behind.

The Strategy is supported by a Mainstreaming Action Plan that sets out practical steps that the Scottish Government is taking to embed equality and human rights throughout. We have also produced an online Toolkit providing guidance, training materials, and best practice examples. Together with the Strategy this outlines how we will continue to embed equality and human rights into everything we do in government and we encourage similar approaches across the wider public sector.

We have developed this Strategy through extensive engagement with communities, organisations, and individuals, including those with lived experience of inequality and exclusion. These voices have shaped this work, and they will continue to guide us. Real change happens when we listen, when we act, and when we work together. I would like to thank all those involved and those who contributed to the Strategy consultation, the Action Plan, and the accompanying Toolkit.

I am also grateful to those who have provided evidence and their views to help shape our proposals for activity to enable listed authorities to better perform the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland (PSED). These proposals have been set out in our Regulation 12 report—published alongside this Strategy—and detail our planned improvement activity in relation to the operation of the PSED, for the next four years. The report is intentionally aligned with the Strategy to reinforce our integrated regulatory and policy approaches to mainstreaming, with the aim of enabling better performance by listed authorities in addressing the three needs of the PSED in Scotland: to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations.

I invite you to engage with this Strategy. To use the insights it offers, to work with us and embed equality and human rights into everyday decisions and services. Together, we can build a Scotland where everyone feels safe, valued and included.