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Scots call for end to discrimination
30/09/2003
More than two thirds of Scots say that the country should do as much as it can to get rid of all kinds of prejudice, according to results of a new public opinion survey published today.
The survey, the first to look at discrimination across a range of groups in Britain, shows that most people think that at discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability and sexual orientation exists and more should be done to combat it.
Communities Minister Margaret Curran said:
"I'm encouraged by much of these findings - the majority of people think prejudice is wrong and want to see more action to combat it. Building a respectful society where people can live their lives free from prejudice and abuse is a cornerstone of the Executive's Partnership Agreement.
"Parts of the report do make for uncomfortable reading, however, and underline the need for work to continue to tackle inequality. This is why we are driving forward our equality agenda across the board, from the One Scotland, Many Cultures campaign to our work to promote the rights and participation of disabled people through the European Year of Disabled People 2003.
"I have been particularly pleased with the collaborative approach to the survey and we will continue to work with the equality organisations to ensure that discrimination becomes a thing of the past."
In a statement on behalf of the four equality agencies involved in the research, Bob Benson, Scottish Director of the Disability Rights Commission, said:
"All people in Scotland are touched by this research so it is good to report that the core message is a positive one - most people think holding discrimatory attitudes is wrong.
"Whilst the report clearly shows there is great support for equality it also highlights issues requiring attention and assumptions that need to be challenged in order to make Scotland a just society.
"The Equal Opportunities Commission, the Disability Rights Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and Stonewall are committed to working in partnership with the Executive to tackle these issues and to make Scotland a better place to live and work."
The survey formed part of the NatCen Scotland's 2002 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey. More than 1600 people were questioned about their attitudes towards discrimination.
The authors of the report, Catherine Bromley and John Curtice, said:
"A key aim of NatCen Scottish Social Attitudes Survey is to help ensure that the development of public policy is informed by high quality research on public attitudes. By providing a unique, detailed account of the extent and character of prejudice in Scotland, we hope this report will inform the debate about discrimination."
Attitudes to Discrimination in Scotland was jointly commissioned by the Executive, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Disability Rights Commission and Stonewall Scotland.
The research reports on the findings of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2002, which contained a module of questions on gender, disability, race and sexual orientation.
This is the first time in Britain that a survey on public attitudes towards discrimination has been conducted on this scale.
For more information on the work of NatCen and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, see www.natcen.ac.uk/units/scotland.