Equalities Calendar

01-31 January
Dry January
Dry January is an excellent opportunity to see how their lives can be without alcohol and take the time to build healthier coping mechanisms for day-to-day difficulties and celebrations.
Alcohol Change UK

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04 January
World Braille Day
World Braille Day is celebrated to serve, as a symbol of honour for the Braille system that has helped educate the visually impaired since several decades.

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27 January
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide.

01-28 February
LGBT History Month
LGBT+ History Month is a month-long, annual, celebration and remembrance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. It looks at the history of gay rights, which is also related to the civil rights movements. The main and overall aims of the month are to promote two things: equality and diversity.
DCC will promote this month via promotion of local events & activities via social media.

04 to 19 March
Dundee International Women’s Festival
Dundee Women’s Festival is an annual event run in the Dundee and Angus area to span International Women’s Day on 8th March.

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08 March
International Women’s Day
The world comes together for International Women’s Day (IWD) to celebrate women’s achievements and reinforce a commitment to women’s equality. 
DCC provides support to Dundee International Women’s Festival throughout the week.

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16 March
Disabled Access Day
Disabled Access Day is a day in which businesses and individuals not only come together to celebrate the extraordinary progress made in making even more venues, facilities and opportunities more accessible to disabled people, but to also discuss how we can continue to improve this access for many more people.

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31 March
International Transgender Day of Visibility
Transgender Day of Visibility is an international event dedicated to recognising the resilience and accomplishments of the transgender community. On this day, we celebrate the trans people amongst us, raise awareness about the struggles that they face, and advocate for more protected rights for them.

28 March to 03 April
World Autism Awareness Week
The original concept of educating people about Autism Spectrum Condition and celebrating the achievements of Autistic people continues to be the focus of these events today.

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28 April
International Workers Memorial Day
On 28 April each year, International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) is a time to remember those who have died either because of a workplace accident, ill health or diseases as a result of work.
DCC works with local Unions to share local information and events.

04 to 09 May
Deaf Awareness Week
Deaf Awareness Week allows the opportunity to learn about the different levels of deafness, deaf culture and its history.

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Dundee City Council Local BSL Plan 2024-2030 
The Scottish Government published their second British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2023-2029 in November 2023. Within the national plan there are 45 actions which will help the Scottish Government in achieving their ten long-term goals.  The BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 requires listed public bodies in Scotland to develop and publish a local 6-year plan which demonstrates how they will work towards implementing the national plan. 

This plan sets out the goals and actions for Dundee City Council from 2024-2030 and is framed around the same goals as the national plan. 

A priority in this plan is to ensure that BSL users throughout the city have equal access to services that are welcoming, inclusive, fair, and focused on their needs. This plan has been developed through an extensive engagement, involving both local and national partners. 

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06-10 May
Scottish Learning Disability Week
Scottish Learning Disability Week is Scotland's learning disability awareness raising week, which takes place in May every year. Every year has a different theme that is important to the lives of people with a learning disability.

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13-19 May
Mental Health Awareness Week    
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event where there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health.

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17 May
International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia & Transgender
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristic.

01-30 June
Dundee Pride Month
Pride Month is a global celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+) community that takes place in the month of June. Events happen across the UK and around the world to raise awareness for the LGBT+ community and the struggles and discrimination they have faced. Pride Month is celebrated in June as it is when the Stonewall riots took place in the US in 1969.

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01-30 June
Gypsy, Roma & Travellers History Month
Through celebration, education and raising awareness, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month helps to tackle prejudice, challenge myths and to amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society

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15 June
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
An opportunity to generate renewed momentum for international action to advance the ageing agenda.

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June 2024
Carers Week
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.    
DHSCP support events to highlight carers in city and provide additional information on support available.

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20-26 June 
Refugee Week
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
DCC will promote this Month via promotion of local events & activities via social media.

01-31 July
Samaritans - Talk To Us Month
Every year in July, Samaritans branches in the UK and Republic of Ireland hold local events to raise awareness that Samaritans are here to listen to anyone who’s struggling to cope, at any time of the day or night.

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21 July
ZERO HIV Stigma Day
Dedicated day to raise global awareness on how we can end HIV Stigma.

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25 July
National Schizophrenia Awareness Day
National Schizophrenia Awareness, shines a light on the everyday challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of people living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in the UK and millions more worldwide. It also looks at how we can tackle some of the stigma and discrimination surrounding this much-misunderstood illness.

12 August
International Youth Day
On International Youth Day, there are major media campaigns on TV, radio, online, and through other venues to empower youth and encourage them to take more control over the issues that have the biggest impacts on their lives

01-30 September
World Alzheimer's Month
The aim of the month is to raise awareness and challenge stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia. September 21st is World Alzheimer’s Day. World Alzheimer’s Month is an opportunity for sufferers, carers, professionals, press and media and communities to work together against dementia as well as raising awareness of the realities of it, while combating stigma and misinformation and lobbying the government for better help and care.

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08 September
International Literacy Day
International Literacy Day takes place to raise awareness and concern for literacy problems that exist within our own local communities as well as globally. International Literacy Day was founded by proclamation of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, in 1966 "to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights."

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09 September
Pension Awareness Day
Started back in 2014 by the team at Pension Geeks, the annual Pension Awareness Day aims to highlight the importance of pension saving. Over one week, the pensions industry comes together to provide free events, webinars and pension clinics to help the public and employers understand pensions and how to achieve the retirement they want. 

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10 September
World Suicide Prevention Day
World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on 10 September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003.
DCC will raise awareness of support available via the Council’s Wellbeing Service.

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16 September
EveryWoman Day
EveryWoman Day is a project created to raise awareness and share experiences about women’s health, so that other women can benefit.

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19 September
Youth Mental Health Day
Youth Mental Health Day encourages understanding and discussion of mental health in young people, enabling them to live happy and healthy lives all year round.

21 September
International Day of Peace
Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

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23-29 September
National Inclusion Week
This week is designed to celebrate everyday inclusion in all its forms. This will be the 10th year Inclusive Employers has brought organisations together from across the globe to celebrate, share and inspire inclusion practices.

01-31 October
Black History Month
The main aims of Black History Month are to celebrate the achievements and contributions of black people not just in the UK, but throughout the world and also to educate all on black history. There are many events to celebrate Black History Month, across the country special classes and celebrations are arranged within schools and universities.  Museums and art galleries have special themed exhibits, and there are also many special themed shows about Black History Month on the TV and Radio.

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07-13 October
Challenge Poverty Week
Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity for us to raise our voice against poverty and show what is being done to tackle poverty across Dundee/Scotland. The main aims of the week are to highlight the reality of poverty and challenge the stereotypes, whilst showcase the solutions to poverty as well as increase public support for action to solve poverty. On each day during Challenge Poverty Week, there will be National focus on a different theme. These themes each have accompanying key messages and policy asks.

DCC is commited to supporting and promoting this week both locally and nationally. A series of local events and actions will take place across the city. 

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10 October
World Mental Health Day
The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

02 November
National Stress Awareness Day
Whether it’s work or juggling the balance of relationships and childcare, there are many lifestyle factors that contribute to stress that eventually lead to further mental health problems.

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11-17 November
Talk Money Week
If you find it hard to talk about money, you’re not alone. That’s why every year people are encouraged to open up about their finances. By having a conversation, you can improve your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
DCC will promote this week via promotion of local events & activities via social media.

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11-18 November
Scottish Interfaith Week
Scottish Interfaith Week was established by Interfaith Scotland in 2004.Interfaith Scotland works to ensure good relations between the diverse religion and belief communities of Scotland and also to share good practice in interfaith dialogue, education, engagement and training. DCC will promote this week via promotion of local events & activities via social media.

Interfaith Scotland will be celebrating 20 years of Interfaith Week, and 1 year since the signing of the Faith Covenant in Dundee with at their launch event taking place in Dundee City Chambers. Further information to follow.

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13-19 November
Transgender Awareness Week
Transgender Awareness Week is a week when transgender people and their allies act to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.
DCC will promote this week via promotion of local events & activities via social media.

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November-December
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
An annual international campaign.  It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Every year, the Dundee Violence Against Women Partnership (DVAWP) works closely together to deliver a number of awareness raising events as part of this campaign. All of our events are open to all members of the public and communities within Dundee - no one is excluded – this is everyone’s issue! Further details to follow.

01 December
World Aids Day
First recognized in 1988, World AIDS Day falls on December 1 each year. World AIDS Day is dedicated to spreading awareness. Further info to follow.

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03 December
International Day of Disabled Persons
International Day of Disabled Persons recognises visible and invisible disabilities, to promote the importance of inclusion in life and the workplace. DCC & DHSCP will promote this through provision of sharing local info and small scale event provision.

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10 December
Human Rights Day
It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. DCC promotes and supports this day vas part of their commitment to the work DVAWP through the 16 Days of Action.