Gender
The University's Integrated Equality Policy provides for an inclusive environment, which 'promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected to assist them in reaching their full potential'. It also provides that no student or member of staff will be treated less favourably on the grounds of gender or gender identity.
The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires all public bodies – including universities – to have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act;
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not;
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
The Equality Act (2010) defined nine ‘protected characteristics’ as follows:
- Sex
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Gender reassignment
- Age
- Disability
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Marriage and civil partnership
The PSED covers all the protected characteristics apart from marriage and civil partnership, for which public bodies will only have to demonstrate due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination in employment.
Click here to see how the University of Oxford is meeting its Public Sector Equality Duty.
The Gender Equality Advisor in the Equality and Diversity Unit can be contacted by email gender.equality@admin.ox.ac.uk.