Spreadsheet of local authorities that record sex not gender - let's complete it together!

Essex County Council have taken down their protected characteristics page for now, I'm hopeful it's so they can change it to sex.

Not only did they have gender instead of sex but they were missing gender reassignment, civil partnership/marriage and pregnancy and maternity so they had a lot wrong!

I have just seen a tweet from Derbyshire County Council who have admitted their error and said they are correcting previously stated 'gender' for 'sex'.

Basingstoke and Deane are going to check with the Equality and Human Rights Commission

North Lanks have corrected to sex

GibbertyFlibbert
Thank you. I have contacted them to explain why gender is the best term to use.
Well my point is they are miss quoting the law I'm sure you can continue to try to get the law changed

Just noticed in the ‘about you’ bit Mumsnet ask for the ‘gender’ of your children not ‘sex’

So if I understand what @Gibberty is saying, if you interpret the EA to agree with your position and read selective pages from the EHRC website, then sex and gender are the same and either word can be used when talking about the EA.

The protected characteristic is still “sex”, though. Not “gender” or “sex (gender)”. Using or including the word “gender” in this situation is incorrect.

@Gibberty can you explain how gender is the clearest term when it has no agreed legal meaning?

Seems pretty clear it’s sex here (from EHRC website):

www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics

The EHRC has no authority to change the law.

Flibberty makes a good point. The EHRC guidance is out of step with the EA and also needs reviewing.

"Falkirk - sex (gender) & gender - they are getting legal to take a look"

Thank you. I have contacted them to explain why gender is the best term to use.

I will contact other councils tomorrow. They need to know that the Equality and Human Rights Commission uses gender and understand why this is the clearest term

"Basingstoke & Deane have replied to my email and said that they’ve corrected “sex (gender)” to “sex”. I confirmed it a few minutes ago."

I have contacted them, shown that that the Equality and Human Rights Commission uses gender and explained why from the text of the Equality Act 2010 that gender is the better term. I have asked them to reinstate gender.

West lothian - sex(gender) - not heard back yet
Falkirk - sex (gender) & gender - they are getting legal to take a look
North Lanarkshire - gender - not heard back yet

Stirlingshire - sex
Fife - sex
Perth & Kinross - sex
Glasgow - sex

Here is a 'view only' version of the spreadsheet on Dropbox. I gave up on Google Docs. You don't need Dropbox to view. Let's keep it view only for now as I am keeping track of the changes. www.dropbox.com/s/xmq54yl0vxih1au/Local%20Councils%20List%202018.xlsx?dl=0

If you are doing Universities, university of Warwickshire is not right. I am not in a position to email and complain, as I am not a student.

Imnobody4
Thanks for sharing that. I haven't had a reply to my email yet.

I'm not quite sure what I make of it. On the surface it seems positive but they still don't seem to understand gender and sex are not interchangeable. Therefore do they understand or care why protecting sex characteristics are important.

Aurielia
I e mailed Notts and received reply.
You are quite right that sex is one of the protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010. At Nottinghamshire County Council, even before the introduction of the Act, we have always considered ‘gender’ when introducing or revising our policies and procedures and when the Equality Act was introduced, we continued to consider gender as well as sex under the category of ‘gender’.
The Equality Policy you have seen on our website is now quite outdated and we are in the process of updating it. We will ensure that the new policy uses the correct wording as defined by the Equality Act 2010
You can rest assured, as a Stonewall Top 100 Employer, we do take our commitment to equality and diversity very seriously and all the protected characteristics are taken into account when delivering our services and in the employment of our staff

I put this on the wrong thread, here are various LAs covering Devon and some neighbours:

South Hams has Sex (gender)
www.southhams.gov.uk/equality

Torridge (North Devon) has Gender
www.torridge.gov.uk/article/11398/Equality-and-Diversity

Plymouth has Gender
www.plymouth.gov.uk/communitiesandneighbourhoods/socialinclusionandcommunitycohesion/equalityanddiversity

Devon County Council Equality pages aren't working new.devon.gov.uk/equality/

Exeter has Gender
exeter.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-information/strategies-policies-and-plans/equality-and-diversity/

Teignbridge has Gender but lists Sex, Gender and Gender reassignment all in that category, which is confusing.
www.teignbridge.gov.uk/community-and-people/people/equality-and-diversity/the-equality-act/

West Devon has Sex (gender)
www.westdevon.gov.uk/equality

If anyone else wants to write to all of the above please do.

Torbay has Sex
www.torbay.gov.uk/council/policies/corporate/equalities/

Somerset has Sex
www.somerset.gov.uk/policies-and-plans/policies/equality/

Cornwall has Sex
www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and-living/equality-and-diversity/the-nine-protected-characteristics/

East Devon has Sex
eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-business/equality-and-diversity/equality-policy-and-strategy-2017-20/appendix-2-equality-act-2010-duties/

Mid Devon has Sex
www.middevon.gov.uk/your-council/equality-and-diversity/

While Nottinghamshire county council uses does use sex occasionly but mostly uses gender.

It does however proudly boast of being Stonewall top 100 employer 2018...

Mansfield district council uses gender.
Will also email them tomorrow.

excellent!

Basingstoke & Deane have replied to my email and said that they’ve corrected “sex (gender)” to “sex”. I confirmed it a few minutes ago.

Yay!

Great points about GDPR.