The Emergencies Partnership has people at the heart of our core mission. We know that emergencies impact people differently with some communities and groups facing disproportionate risks, barriers and consequences. Our equalities approach directly supports our mission and value propositions to prepare, respond and learn and contributes to our long-term goal of a person-centred, coordinated response.  

This approach isn’t a standalone programme but a living commitment to ensure three core threads are woven through all our activity. It is intentional in its ambition to ensure that those most impacted are heard, included and better supported.  

We are amplifying lived experience and community insight by: 

• Ensuring diverse representation at our events and in decision-making spaces. 

• Commissioning and sharing research, such as our Riots to Resilience report, that surfaces community perspectives.  

• Reaching into safe and trusted spaces where impacted groups are active.  

• Spotlighting partners working with marginalised groups and communities.  

We are working to embed inclusion into emergency planning and exercising by: 

• Influencing national exercises, such as Exercise Pegasus, to emphasise the importance of including equalities considerations.  

• Shaping inclusive practices by working with partners on their initiatives, for example, Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Inclusive Resilience Pathways project.

• Delivering Train the Trainer workshops that support co-design and empower partners to run their own exercises. 

• Co-producing resources and toolkits with partners and communities.

We are supporting partner-led systemic change by: 

• Promoting and modelling Equality Impact Assessments. 

• Championing risk and rights-based approaches that frame a deeper understanding of how inequalities impact resilience. Risk is one way to take action - but systemic inequality must also be considered in preparedness, response and recovery.

• Partnering with organisations to embed equalities in resilience planning. 

This approach reflects our values, aligns our mission and evolves with our learning. Whilst addressing the impacts of structural inequalities is integral and something we must all play a role in, our specific remit is focussed on reducing disproportionate impact in emergencies, through identifying lessons, building connections and convening across the sector.

We recognise that our core team are not specialists in the field of equalities and therefore must not act alone, but by working proportionately yet purposefully, we can amplify successes and strengthen the sector and resilience system over time to benefit the communities most impacted.