Women in industry awards ceremony

[NameChange1902]

NC just to vent. I work in an historically (and still overly) male dominated industry. There have been many times when I have been the only woman in the room. There have been times when (I have a foreign name) I've been assumed to be male (over email) or my boss's secretary (in person). The women's loos in one building I was working in had a keypad on the door because the men kept using them and leaving them in a state. The list goes on.

Had a generic advert email this morning for Women in Rail awards 2021. I've never been overly fond of WiR (the marketing for the Big Rail Diversity Challenge has frequently stated that it seeks "mixed gender" teams, led by women to "showcase" women and men in "non-traditional" roles... as a senior female manager I find that incredibly fucking patronising and problematic... are all the men in my team meant to view me as a token placement? Link here).

The categories for this year now have - for the first time - asterisks against the words female and man. The (I assume) previously sex-based awards are now awarded on the basis of gender identity, not sex. Which is fine if that's what they want to do, but I just think what's the point of having an organisation - which was set up specifically to promote and showcase women as an underrepresented sex class within an industry - to run gender-categorised awards? May as well just have generic (non-gendered) awards? Link: womeninrail.org/awards/categories/

It also ground my gears that in the overly long waffle about the definition of 'man' and 'female' protected characteristics were used pretty fucking selectively:

"At Women in Rail, the words “woman”, “women” and “female”, when used by the team, span the nine protected characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation, as well as broader behavioural and background diversity, such as thinking and personality types, socio-economic background and life experience and include women who are transitioning and non-binary people."

I can't complain; I have ASD and a) I'd make a hash of it, b) I'm vulnerable enough already due to the ASD (constantly paranoid about reacting 'correctly' in these situations), c) I'm the main wage earner. But what a mess. I figured you lot would be a safe space for me to have a whinge

So a woman is basically anyone 🤷🏻‍♀️

People misrepresent or conflate the language so much that I always need to check - iirc, gender is not a protected characteristic but gender reassignment is.

There are, of course, conflicts and interactions between GRA 2004 and EA2010.

fairplayforwomen.com/gra_equality-act/

Yes. They mention the 9 protected characteristics but only list 6. Missing out sex for some reason!

I’m in a different male dominated industry where there’s a shortage of skilled people, they keep wondering why they have such low numbers of women but the ‘women in’ awards often go to males identifying as women more often than not. Those males are also the people who loudly speak for ‘us’ women. I’m seriously thinking of just fucking off out of the industry as I’ve had enough.

I have no words, so here is a sad Easter bunny. It's appalling.

So gay men, black men and disabled men are now women?

@OppsUpsSide

So a woman is basically anyone 🤷🏻‍♀️

So it would seem. Although to be fair, under their definitions, so is a man. And if you're an organisation set up to improve the lot of a (protected) sex class, why skip over the bit in your waffle about protected characteristics that would allow you to keep the awards sex-segregated to achieve a proportionate aim (which aligns with the aim of your organisation)?

My company announced its "Women in...." awards were open for nominations for women, and also men and teams who have been exceptional in improving diversity
Solidarity op. I'm not sure what's happened to make the disadvantages women face old news, but it is intensely annoying

I'm not sure what's happened to make the disadvantages women face old news

It's identity politics looming it's head again. Women are no longer seen as an oppressed class and there are other groups of people who are far more oppressed.

At Women in Rail, the words “woman”, “women” and “female”, when used by the team, span the nine protected characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation, as well as broader behavioural and background diversity, such as thinking and personality types, socio-economic background and life experience and include women who are transitioning and non-binary people."

The nine protected characteristics in Equality Act are:
The following characteristics are protected characteristics—
age;
disability;
gender reassignment;
marriage and civil partnership;
pregnancy and maternity;
race;
religion or belief;
sex;
sexual orientation.

(gender is not a protected characteristic)

Ralph Lucas is a Conservative back bencher in The House of Lords.
May 5th 2020 he published clarification he had received from the government of the definition used for man and woman. This definition is from Equality Act 2010
twitter.com/LordLucasCD/status/1257642470692868097

Lord Lucas wrote,

"Definitions. The government has helpfully pointed out the definitions that they use

"Man": from the Equality Act 2010: 'A male of any age'

"Woman": from the Equality Act 2010: 'A female of any age'"

I find "women who are transitioning" confusing too, because does that mean a woman who is transitioning to a trans man or a man who is transitioning to a trans woman?

Its a woman as 'non-man' award.

I am sure Robin Moira White has been consulted on that interpretation of women in rail.

Thinking and personality types? 😕