Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy

Feedback updated 11 Dec 2025

We asked

The Scottish Government ran a public consultation on the Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy (the Strategy) from 30 October 2024 to 5 February 2025. The Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to embedding equality and human rights into everything it does across government and seeks to encourage the same across the wider public sector. It provides a clear vision and practical framework for making lasting change in how we develop policy, deliver services, and allocate resources. The goal is to build fairer systems that work better for everyone in Scotland.

The consultation sought views from stakeholders, including members of the public, on the Strategy’s proposed vision and objectives, six key drivers, a supporting Action Plan and toolkit and reporting. Responses to the consultation were accepted through three formats, including (i) the Citizen Space online platform, (ii) email (including PDF attachments), and (iii) by participating in consultation engagement events.

You said

A total of 123 consultation responses were received. Respondents included individuals, local authorities, public sector organisations, academic institutions and third sector organisations. In addition, two Scottish Government-led consultation events were held, with approximately 100 attendees in total.

Widespread support was recorded for the Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy. Six key drivers were consistently identified through stakeholder engagement, reflecting the areas where change is most needed. They are:

Strengthening Leadership
Developing Accountability and Transparency
Ensuring an Effective Regulatory and Policy Environment
Utilising Evidence and Experience
Enhancing Capability and Culture
Improving Capacity

Support for each of the individual drivers was very high, and respondents often provided consideration and further recommendations for what they felt should be considered during the final development stage. Questions about implementing the Strategy and about the toolkit and Action Plan were raised throughout the consultation, as was a recommendation to collaborate with people with lived experience. Concerns about capacity and funding, and proposals for greater staff training and development were other common themes.

We did

We commissioned an independent research company, The Lines Between, to conduct the analysis of the consultation responses and their analysis report has been published on the Scottish Government website.

We have published the consultation responses, where permission was given to do so, on Citizen Space.

The consultation responses provided valuable and informative feedback which directly informed the final structure and content of the Strategy, Action Plan, and Toolkit, which were published on 8th December 2025.

Changes made as a result of consultation feedback include:

clearer alignment across mainstreaming tools
reduced duplication across mainstreaming tools
more practical support for implementation

The Scottish Government is grateful to everyone who engaged with and provided a response to this consultation.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform the Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy.

The Strategy is fundamental to achieving positive change and a fairer, more equal, society in Scotland for all of those who live here. It is key to tackling persistent inequality in society and sustaining equality of opportunity for all of those who live in Scotland. By establishing a clear framework for the Scottish Government and wider public sector’s approach to mainstreaming the Strategy will benefit all of those who live in Scotland by providing the foundation for improved policy, with better and fairer outcomes for all.

The Strategy will provide the framework so that the Scottish Government and the wider public sector can apply a consistent focus on equality and human rights in policy and service delivery. It will guide the Scottish Government, the wider public sector, and our partners to improve embedding equality and human rights into all that we do. This will include an overall shared vision, a set of drivers and how we will achieve these to improve mainstreaming.

We intend that the Strategy will provide a focus for every element of mainstreaming. This covers a range, including:

removing systemic barriers
improving how decisions are made
establishing the culture, mindset and practice that ensures that the Scottish Government and public sector embed equality and human rights in policy-making and service delivery.

We also intend the Strategy to guide how we provide support to everyone who has a role in improving and supporting mainstreaming in the wider public sector. It will cover the next five years, until 2030. However, it will also set out a much longer-term approach to improve mainstreaming.

Read the consultation paper
Read the Easy Read version

Why your views matter

The aims of the proposed Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy reflect the priorities of the Scottish Government. The 2023 Policy Prospectus ‘Equality, Opportunity, Community’ sets out the government’s priority to make a fairer Scotland a reality – a Scotland of equality, opportunity and community. The 2023-24 Programme for Government recognises that each mission is connected and, when delivered together, will make a real and positive difference to the lives of people across Scotland.

Your views will help us shape our final Mainstreaming Strategy.  The Strategy will guide the work that Scottish Government, the wider public sector and our partners will do to embed equality and human rights in everything that we do. Therefore, it is important that we collaborate to develop a Strategy that will improve outcomes for all.

What happens next

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence. Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public on the Scottish Government's consultation site along with the analysis report.

If you respond to the consultation here, you will recieve a copy via email.

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