Securing Mainstreaming in a Hostile Political Environment

Abstract

There has been a dramatic reshaping of the political landscape in the United Kingdom since 1997. This has brought about substantial changes in equality law and practice, both nationally and regionally. One of the most talked about innovations has been the adoption of mainstreaming as a strategy for the promotion of equality. In the United Kingdom, this has produced a complex, varied and, on occasion, obscure pattern of duties in respect of mainstreaming. Yet despite this, mainstreaming is delivering gains to previously marginalized groups within society, though the extent of those gains varies according to the context and the type of mainstreaming involved. What has to be avoided at all costs, however, is a situation where equality is neglected and disregarded. This article, therefore, explores the case for securing mainstreaming and investigates how effectively mainstreaming in the United Kingdom has been safeguarded against a hostile political environment.

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