Blick_UK Politics (9780198825555)_CH10

10.3 In theory 231

attacks. Recent controversy has surrounded cases of anti- semitismwithin the Labour Party and whether the leadership of the Labour Party handled the issue appropriately, and if it had appropriate mechanisms for doing so (Goddard, 2018). Aswell as sufferingprejudice anddiscrimination as agroup, Muslims also suffer from economic and social disadvantage. The UK Muslim population is concentrated to a significant ex- tent in geographical areas that suffer from deprivation; is far more likely than the average to live in poor households; and has relatively low levels of full-time employment. Islamopho- bia has a racial dimension to it; and victims of Islamophobia might include people who are not Muslims, but assumed to be by those targeting them (Priddy and Torrance, 2019). The persistence of these kinds of discrimination, as well as others, suggests an important perspective we must take into account when analysing identity and equality in the UK. A law stating that certain rights exist, or that certain forms of behaviour are illegal, is not in itself sufficient for the effective promotion of equality. If it seems as though vi- olating such standards will not lead to negative outcomes for those carrying them out, then they are likely to contin- ue, if one takes the view that deterrents are the appro- priate means of preventing discrimination. Furthermore, if victims of improper behaviour do not feel that they will be supported in taking action to protect their rights, then they may be reluctant to do so. Meaningful equality requires proper enforcement. Without it, actual or potential victims are denied a secure place within society. Doubts exist about how effective enforcement of equality is in the UK. Furthermore, even if public authorities are taking effective steps to protect and promote rights, it is not always entirely within their direct power to guarantee success. These doubts were formalized when in 2019, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee identified

what it perceived as serious weaknesses in the upholding of equality in the UK. It criticized the existing system for re- lying on individuals, who had been discriminated against, taking action on their own account. This tendency was problematic because it might have been hard for them to know what their rights were or understand the complexities of the law. They might not receive sufficient support from other sources, the financial costs could be too high, and they might come under inappropriate pressure from those they were taking legal action against. The Committee rec- ognized that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had suffered from reductions in its financial support. But it held that it should still be able to take a more proactive ap- proach to the protection of equality and that it could use its existing powers more effectively than it was. It could—by us- ing these powers—bring about a cultural change, leading to a wide variety of organizations recognizing that they were obliged to promote equality and oppose discrimination. The Committee also saw a role for the government in prioritizing equality as a more mainstream part of its work; and for other public sector entities such as regulators. In the absence of such a shift, there would continue to be a lack of effective protection against the unfair treatment of a range of groups including the disabled, older people, and travellers (House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, 2019). The international #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment also shone a spotlight on the en- forcement of equality. The movement encouraged much scrutiny of standards in the UK, thereby revealing consid- erable problems in areas such as workplace conduct. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee in- vestigated this subject in 2018 (House of Commons Wom- en and Equalities Committee, 2018). Excerpts from the Committee report are produced in Closer Look 10.1.

Closer look 10.1 House of CommonsWomen and Equalities Committee, 2018, excerpts from ‘Sexual Harassment in theWorkplace’ © Oxford University Pr ss

Notes that sexual harassment, impacting upon both women and men, but a significantly higher proportion of women, is a longstanding issue that the #MeToo campaign served to highlight. Notes that the existence of legal prohibitions and responsibilities to act are not sufficient in themselves.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is widespread and commonplace. It is shameful that unwanted sexual behaviours such as sexual comments, touching, groping and assault are seen as an everyday occurrence and part of the culture in workplaces. A BBC survey in November 2017 found that 40 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men had experienced un- wanted sexual behaviour in the workplace. These behaviours are unlaw- ful, but the Government, regulators and employers have failed to tackle them, despite their responsibilities to do so under UK and international law. As a result these legal protections are often not available to workers in practice. The #MeToo movement has put sexual harassment in the spotlight, but it is not a new phenomenon. Employers and regulators have ignored their responsibilities for too long.