Equality and Human Rights Commission

Kay Carberry was reappointed as a commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 4 December 2009, having started as a commissioner on 5 December 2006.

Kay was appointed assistant general secretary of the TUC in January 2003, having previously been the first head of the TUC's equal rights department, set up in 1988. As head of the new department, she established new TUC equality structures, including new specialist committees and conferences focused on issues relating to disability and sexual orientation, to supplement longer-established structures representing the interests of women and black workers. These TUC equality bodies have led the TUC's support for trade unions in their work to counter discrimination, promote equality and protect the interests of women workers and disadvantaged minorities.

As a representative of the TUC, Kay has been involved in public policy development across a range of areas and has served on a number of government advisory bodies on equality, education, training and employment. In recent years, this has included membership of groups focusing on age diversity, work-life balance, parental support and migration. She was a commissioner on the Equal Opportunities Commission and was a member of the Women and Work Commission, which reported to the prime minister in February 2006 with recommendations aiming to close the gender pay gap within a generation.

She is a trustee of One Parent Families, the People's History Museum, the Work Foundation and a member of the Franco-British Council.

Kay declared when responding to the political activity questionnaire that she canvassed on behalf of the Labour Party at the last General Election, with no further political activity declared during the past five years.