Minister for Equalities (Scotland)

The Minister for Equalities is a Junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet.^[2] The post was created in June 2018 under the title 'Minister for Older People and Equalities: the Minister supports the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, who is a full member of cabinet.^[3]

Minister for Equalities
Scottish Gaelic: Ministear airson Co-ionannachd
Incumbent Kaukab Stewart since 8 May 2024
Style	Minister (within parliament) Equalities Minister (informal) Scottish Equalities Minister (outwith Scotland)
Member of	Scottish Parliament Scottish Government
Reports to	Scottish Parliament
Seat	Edinburgh
Appointer	First Minister
Inaugural holder	Jeane Freeman Minister for Social Security
Formation	19 May 2016
Salary	£106,185 per annum (2024)[1] (including £72,196 MSP salary)
Website	www.gov.scot

The incumbent Minister is Kaukab Stewart since 8 May 2024.

Overview

The Minister for Older People and Equalities had specific responsibility for promoting and coordinating policy in support of:^[3]

• Social equality with respect to gender, sexuality, race, and disability
• The protection and development of social and human rights
• Equality for and the needs of Older people

The current post holds the following responsibilities:

• mainstreaming of equality and human rights
• diversity, inclusion and equalities, including disability, older people, women, gender, LGBTI and race, including Gypsy/Traveller community
• social isolation and loneliness strategy
• faith and belief
• population and migration
• New Scots strategy
• refugees and asylum seekers
• displaced peoples

List of office holders

Name		Portrait	Entered Office	Left Office	Party	First Minister
Minister for Social Security
	Jeane Freeman		19 May 2016	28 June 2018	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Older People and Equalities
	Christina McKelvie		28 June 2018	29 March 2023	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Social Security and Local Government
	Ben Macpherson		20 May 2021	29 March 2023	Scottish National Party	Nicola Sturgeon
Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees
	Emma Roddick		29 March 2023	8 May 2024	Scottish National Party	Humza Yousaf
Minister for Equalities
	Kaukab Stewart		8 May 2024	Incumbent	Scottish National Party	John Swinney

See also

• Scottish Parliament