Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:
Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to everything we do at Hope. We aim to celebrate the diversity of women from all backgrounds and of all ages. We strive to support Women to overcome any and all barriers, to their full inclusion and participation in society.
What do we mean by diversity and inclusion?
We are all different. We come from different backgrounds, have different family structures and relationships, come from different geographical places, have different faith and belief systems, see the world differently and have different abilities. These differences can be obvious, but some can’t be seen. Diversity is about positively valuing and harnessing these differences. Inclusion refers to a person’s experience whether that’s at work, when using public services or in wider society and the extent to which they feel valued and included. At Hope we understand that positively valuing diversity and inclusion can make organisations better; helping us learn, innovate and deliver benefits for the people we’re here to help. We strive to value and harness diversity in everything we do, including making our services inclusive and accessible.
What is Hope’s position on diversity and inclusion?
We will not tolerate any discrimination, victimisation or harassment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We are committed to tackling the inequalities and exclusion experienced by women of all ages and promoting equality and inclusion of people from diverse backgrounds in all areas of our work.
How do we promote inclusion in our work?
We respect the diversity of all of those whom we aim to support, as we understand that we all have different needs, choices, cultures and values. We do everything we can to ensure that we’re as inclusive as possible in all areas of our work and operations, whether that’s providing services, fundraising, or as an employer.
Within our policy
In developing all of our policy positions, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and tackling discrimination, promoting the human rights, including dignity, security and opportunity with an objective of and enabling our service users to contribute and participate in society and local communities. It’s just as important that we respect and value the diversity of our staff and volunteers. Our Trustees are responsible for leading and modelling our commitment to promoting equality and valuing diversity to create an inclusive culture, for driving change and improvement and monitoring progress, facilitating the sharing of best practice across our organisation and ensuring that Hope meets our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and all other relevant legislation.
Why do we do this?
We believe Society cannot improve for anyone while people are treated unfairly because of their age, or their ethnicity, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or because they are disabled. It is unlawful for organisations to discriminate on the grounds of gender, gender identity, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and disability in employment and training, and in the provision of goods, facilities, and services, except in very limited circumstances. We believe an inclusive society where everyone, including all older people, is treated with dignity and respect will not only benefit older people but will also help to develop greater social cohesion, tolerance, stability and prosperity in the wider society.