Legal sex is the protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 that refers to a man or woman. We want to achieve equity for all our students and staff, regardless of your legal sex or gender identity. We aim to provide an environment that is fair and respectful whilst you study or work with us.
In line with the conclusions of the 2016 Women and Equalities Committee report on trans equality, we recognise that the terms ‘gender reassignment’ and ‘transsexual’ used in the Equality Act 2010 may be outdated and no longer useful for our community. As a result, trans is used at the university as an inclusive ‘umbrella’ term for anyone whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. ‘Gender identity’ and ‘gender equality’ are intended to include people with a variety of identities, including but not limited to cisgender women, cisgender men, trans men, trans women, and non-binary people.
All our Schools and Faculties are aiming for gender equality recognition through the Athena SWAN programme. Our Athena SWAN awards ask us to explore the gender distribution in our staff and students, and to propose clear actions where our data shows that we need to work towards improved gender equality.
There are a number of societies and networks to help support you:
The institutional Athena SWAN action plan sets out how we aim to support gender equality for staff across the university. In addition, you can find the university's Gold Athena Swan action plan.
You can also contact your Faculty or Professional Services EDI Group for information on local action to progress gender equality, and can view the HR web pages for equality monitoring information such as gender pay gap reporting.
Staff who identify as women can access the Women’s Staff Network, a peer support network run by and for women at the university. In addition, Nottingham Women Expert Network (N-WEN) is a network designed to boost the visibility of the many talented women at Nottingham who have expertise to share. If you are a trans member of staff, you can find out more about how we support you on our trans pages.
A Guide for managers has also been developed to provide support around work and the menopause.