Wolverhampton Council Declares Military Service a 'Locally Protected Characteristic'

Wolverhampton Council has taken a significant step forward in supporting its armed forces community by declaring military service a 'locally protected characteristic' under the Equality Act. This move aims to provide special protections to serving personnel and veterans in the city, ensuring they receive fair treatment in their dealings with the authority. The resolution was proposed by Councillor Obaida Ahmed, who highlighted the unique challenges faced by military families, including frequent relocation, disrupted schooling, barriers to healthcare, and challenges finding stable employment. This recognition is a significant step towards addressing the needs of the armed forces community in Wolverhampton.

Key Takeaways:

• The Wolverhampton Council has unanimously voted to declare military service a 'locally protected characteristic' under the Equality Act.
• This means serving personnel and veterans in the city will enjoy the same special protections as people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and religious groups.
• Councillor Obaida Ahmed proposed the motion, highlighting the challenges faced by military families, including frequent relocation, disrupted schooling, barriers to healthcare, and challenges finding stable employment.
• There are more than 5,000 veterans in Wolverhampton, who are twice as likely to report being in poor health as nonveterans, and are also more likely to suffer from disability.
• The council aims to listen to the stories of veterans, understand their challenges, and act on their needs.
• Recognition of military service as a 'locally protected characteristic' will ensure that veterans are met with dignity, rather than bureaucracy, and their voices are heard and acted upon.

Statistics:

• There are more than 5,000 veterans in Wolverhampton.
• Veterans in Wolverhampton are twice as likely to report being in poor health as nonveterans.
• Veterans are also more likely to suffer from disability.
• The city council committee aims to provide support and services to address the needs of veterans.

Sources:

• Wolverhampton Council (no date)