Equal Opportunity
Updated by Charlene Carpenter, TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute | July 2005
Equal (adj) – having the same privileges, rights and status and opportunities as others.
Opportunity (n) – a chance, especially one that offers some sort of advantage.
Equal Opportunity aims to ensure that our working and learning environments are free from discrimination and harassment and that policies, procedures, structures and services created by governments and organisations do not disadvantage anyone based on their disability, socio-economic background, location, language, cultural or ethnic background, gender, sexual preference, marital status or religious and political conviction.
The broad principles of equal opportunity are 'social justice' and 'diversity'. Social justice refers to the four elements of equity, access, participation and basic rights. Diversity refers to the three elements of social, cultural and linguistic diversity.
Equal opportunity does not mean treating everyone the same, but a commitment to establish policies, programs and other mechanisms designed to ensure that equal opportunity is provided to all staff and students and that members of disadvantaged groups can gain equal access to opportunities for education and employment.
Source: Flinders University, Adelaide
Websites
Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment
The website for EEO in
the NSW Public Sector, this site provides information about EEO programs
and about the EEO groups (women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,
members of racial, ethnic and ethno-religious minorities and people with
a disability). The EEO programs aim to achieve fair outcomes for everyone
in Public Sector employment and to enhance employment opportunities for
identified EEO groups.
Supporting Students – Equal Opportunity
Under the NSW Government Equity policy, all students in NSW public schools are treated equally. The State Equity Centre supports schools, institutes, teachers, consultants and their communities in implementing NSW Government equity priorities to achieve an informed and just society.
Australian Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission – Disability rights: Education page
The Disability Discrimination Act makes discrimination in education unlawful. This page provides an entry point for Commission resources on equal access to and opportunity in education, and to provide access to resources from other organisations.
Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission was established in 1986 by an act of the Federal Parliament with the goal to foster greater understanding and protection of human rights in Australia and to address the human rights concerns of a broad range of individuals and groups. Here you will find subsections with information for employers, teachers and students.
The Office for Women
The focus of the Office for Women, established in 1995, is to improve the economic and social well being of women, particularly those with limited social and economic resources. The site contains a comprehensive listing of government and community services for women in New South Wales.
Australian Government – Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA)
EOWA is a statutory authority located within the portfolio of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
EOWA’s role is to administer the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (Commonwealth) and through education, assist organisations to achieve equal opportunity for women.
Wikepedia – Equal Opportunity
Would you like to get involved in a discussion on equal opportunity? Here at Wikepedia (free web-based online encyclopedia), you can read articles written collaboratively by volunteers, add to the discussion on equal opportunity or edit the article if you have something to add. There are also links to external sites.
Tolerance.org
This US site is concerned with reducing racism and hate through understanding our own attitudes and providing anti-bias education in the classroom. It contains sub sections on teaching tolerance, a series of tests to uncover hidden bias and a section containing information about the societal effects of prejudice and bias.
Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria
The Commission works to ensure that all Victorians get a fair go (equal opportunity). The site offers information, training and education programs, news, publications and links to Related Resources.
Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy - Equality of Opportunity
'Under scrutiny, equality of opportunity divides into several different ideals, some of them being opposed rivals. It is controversial which of these ideals, if any, are morally acceptable, and which, if any, should be coercively enforced as requirements of justice.' This site provides a philosophical overview and discussion of issues related to equal opportunity.
Publications
BEDSON, L 2004, Embracing Cultural Diversity: Examples of Good Practice in VET, Equity Research Centre, Victoria.
This report presents examples of good practice in achieving equity and diversity objectives for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment, 2001, The Changing Roles of Women: Strong Women, Strong Communities. NSW Government Publication.
This booklet is an inspiring read as it celebrates the achievements of some NSW Public Sector women who make a commitment to community work. When you read the stories you’ll realise that strong women come from city and rural areas, that some speak other languages as well as English, that some are Aboriginal women, and that some have a disability.
Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment, Diversity Delivers: A Guide for Managers Working with Culturally Diverse Staff.
Diversity Delivers is a guide to working with diversity in government organisations in the 21st century. Its purpose is to raise awareness and provide examples, advice and resources to enhance and develop the management of diversity across the Public Sector. The book addresses questions managers often ask about diversity and it explores workable solutions developed by engaging with issues and people.
BALDWIN, T 2003, Setting Directions for Training Mature Aged and Older Unemployed People in VET, Equity Research Centre, Victoria.
This report examines the need for innovative training programs for mature age and older unemployed people in VET. A scan of recent literature and of existing training programs is used to identify good training practice and key elements for inclusion in successful training programs for the cohort.
CONOLE, H 2000, Making Training Work for Women: A Qualitative Study of Women's Experiences in VET, Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training, University of Technology, Sydney.
This report forms part of the research project Packaging Training for Gender Equity which was commissioned in 1997 by ANTA and the MCEETYA VEET Women's Taskforce. It presents information on women's experiences in the current VET system derived from a qualitative focus group study.
REIMERS, F (ed) 2001, Unequal Schools, Unequal Chances: The Challenges to Equal Opportunity in the Americas, Harvard University, David Rockefeller Center Series on Latin American Studies, USA.
A provocative and immensely helpful book, Unequal Schools is also a handbook for participatory practices in fostering social and economic growth in both developing and seemingly developed nations. This edited volume includes carefully selected, quantitatively based research from across the Americas.