Gender (incl Trans)

It is likely that most people accept that talent, in its broadest sense, is equally distributed between men and women. Yet it is also clear that despite over 30 years of sex equality legislation the talents of (mainly) women are not equally represented in many critical groups such as senior management teams or in some areas of science and technology.

Not only does this mean that talent is being wasted, it also means that, for a variety of reasons, equality of opportunity is being denied to a large proportion of the population.

The University has responded to this through its Equal Opportunities Policy and specifically through its commitment to achieving Athena Swan  awards which is a scheme to promote the involvement and representation of women in science and technology.  The University holds the Athena Swan Bronze Award.

Although it is more common to find that women are disadvantaged (e.g. evidenced by the gender pay gap) nevertheless all legislation and the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy promotes gender equality for both men and women.  Men for instance can be disadvantaged by workplace cultures that do not support their childcare responsibilities and both sexes can suffer from stereotyping of their roles and needs.

The University is preparing a comprehensive guide for Trans people, managers and colleagues in the management of gender transition.

Please select the links below for further information on the following:

• Useful Gender related sites
• Breastfeeding / Milk Expressing Room Available to Staff & Students