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Public Policy Interventions: Protecting Economic, Social and Workers’ Rights

The Equality Coalition works strategically to ensure that economic and social policy in Northern Ireland promotes equality, protects workers, and safeguards marginalised communities. Our interventions combine legal expertise, research, political engagement and capacity-building across civil society.

Legal Interventions Subgroup

We run a Legal Intervention Subgroup, which serves as a dedicated legal hub providing strategic guidance and expertise to member organisations.

The subgroup holds hybrid meetings on a bimonthly basis and supports coordinated interventions on a range of issues.

We also deliver targeted training through the subgroup. Some of our past training sessions have focused on:

  • Northern Ireland Assembly Code of Conduct and the Ministerial Code
  • Drafting effective complaints about public bodies
  • Section 75 compliance and enforcement
Equality Coalition staff and a representative from the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman's office, who delivered training to the Legal Interventions Subgroup.
Equality Coalition staff and a representative from the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman's office, who delivered training to the Legal Interventions Subgroup.

Enforcing Section 75 Equality Duties

One of our key priorities is to ensure effective application of Section 75 (S75) public sector equality duties. We advocate for robust compliance with S75 duties in all relevant policy decisions.

We also regularly provide our members with training in this area and assist them with S75 interventions when needed – we are always happy to help! Additionally, we have developed a range of resources to assist our members with their Section 75 interventions.

Visit our Section 75 page for further information on what this duty is and how it works.

About Section 75
Dr Robbie McVeigh addressing attendees at Equality Coalition Statutory Duties Event
Dr Robbie McVeigh addressing attendees at Equality Coalition Statutory Duties Event

Evidence-Based Research and Policy Development

We commission and disseminate research to strengthen the evidence base for equality enforcement and workforce protection. We also respond to government consultations when appropriate and encourage our members to do so, disseminating members’ responses so that we can lean on each other’s expertise.
Here are some of our reports and submissions:

Panellists at Equality Coalition 'Screened Out Without Mitigation' report launch.
Panellists at Equality Coalition 'Screened Out Without Mitigation' report launch.

Political Engagement and Advocacy

We maintain structured engagement with political leaders to ensure our priorities remain central to decision-making. We use our research and reports to ensure that our interventions are both timely and informed.

We respond to relevant consultations, provide evidence to NI Assembly Committees on key issues and produce briefings/ manifestos aimed at our elected representatives. In the run-up to elections, we also arrange hustings events, providing our members with engagement opportunities with election candidates.

Here are some of our key documents in this area:

Equality Coalition Co-Convenors at a meeting with then Economy Minister, Conor Murphy.
Equality Coalition Co-Convenors at a meeting with then Economy Minister, Conor Murphy.

Capacity Building

We regularly organise training sessions and workshops to build capacity among Coalition members across various issues. These sessions are sometimes delivered by Equality Coalition members who have expertise in a particular area, or sometimes we bring in external organisations to deliver training.

Some of our past training sessions have included:

  • Gender budgeting (in partnership with Ulster University and the Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group)
  • Proposed cuts to disability benefits (with the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network)
  • Countering misinformation and disinformation (with FactCheckNI)
  • Section 75 compliance and ministerial complaints procedures
Equality Coalition Fact Checking training, delivered by FactCheck NI
Equality Coalition Fact Checking training, delivered by FactCheck NI