Have to fill out an equalities form as ‘cis woman’ and not happy!

[Rejoiningperson]

I’ve just applied for a temporary job that I really want. However I am pretty cross that at the end of the form, the Equalities Monitoring Form has only one box I can tick, and I don’t agree with any of them. I’m pretty cross as their form means that they really have no idea whether women are being represented in their organisation or not. It says:

Are you:

Male (including both cis men and trans men)
Women (including both cis women and trans women)
Non Binary
Other

I’m a bit big on the accuracy of data, as this used to be part of my job. This equalities form breaks equality law doesn’t it? There might as well not be a question here. For example at the end of the year they could say that 80% of their organisation are women - but they could actually be men identifying as women. Crazy!

I want to leave the question blank. I do not identify as a cis woman. Or a trans woman. And circling it means nothing at all. As a woman I’m invisible.

Tick other?

Circle other. I agree it’s a completely pointless question!

I'd also tick other.

What’s the point though - if they aren’t gathering accurate data on women or men, then they aren’t monitoring equalities.

I’m not other. I’m a woman. Women are not well represented in the role I’m going for.

For me it’s like being asked are you black - including cis black or those identifying as black. Wouldn’t you be pretty cross that your race isn’t being accurately recorded?

Tick women. That includes you doesn't it?

Women (including both cis women and trans women)

Imagine a Venn diagram. Big circle of Women. Inside that, two smaller circles of cis (those who choose to use that word) and trans. You are inside the big circle and outside the two smaller ones.

I just thought that sex was a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. As is sexual orientation, race etc. So separate questions for each.

@MrsTerryPratchett but that fudges the data.

The protected characteristic of women is lost. Those whose sex is not a woman are included in the monitoring. It will skew it and render it useful for the job it is meant.

Job probs isn't right for you then

Ha ha I mean useless!

All of those questions on an equality monitoring form are meant to provide accurate data on each group.

@Conniethesensible

Job probs isn't right for you then

Why?

Are you able to leave it unticjed?

*unticked

OP I agree with you, but two choices I suppose. 1. tick other and 2. tick female and get the job. It depends really how much you want/need the job. This stuff is everywhere right now. Often it seems to me that women are better placed to change things from within an organisation than from without. Spoken as someone who left a job over this stuff. Women are currently between a rock and a hard place on this. Campaign for change though in any way you can.

Well yes, their data is meaningless. But you do have a box you can tick.

You could 'spoil' their form with your thoughts.

Once you have the job and have started, or are turned down, write to them re incorrect data collection?

Is it required to answer the question? Could you just skip it?

I would either tick other or leave it blank, as this appears to me to be a question on gender identity, given the choice of categories, and therefore is not applicable to me.

I tick “other”, if there is no option for “woman” or if “woman including trans*. If they give no option describing me, then it has to be other.

Although sometimes I tick non-bonary, as it’s meaningless anyway.

i think its awful.

try and get the job then change the system!

@MrsTerryPratchett

Women (including both cis women and trans women)

Imagine a Venn diagram. Big circle of Women. Inside that, two smaller circles of cis (those who choose to use that word) and trans. You are inside the big circle and outside the two smaller ones.

Well, no. The OP's point is that she doesn't consider this grouping to be either correct or in line with requirements for equality data monitoring. I agree.

Depending on how much I wanted that job, I would leave this question out, tick other and type female or write them a polite, brief email that their monitoring form is not right.

I would tick other. A percentage of women have no idea what this bloody "cis" thing is. Play the game and tick other as you are a woman.

I must be out of touch to find it shocking. It would be so easy to have another box to tick for trans women / men and arguably quite useful to monitor the equalities in that group too. Lumping all together is like the Emperor’s New Clothes - it’s just false data. There is a reason for protected characteristics and usually a long, hard fought road. It’s just nonsense!

I guess one of the reasons I was surprised was that I did a lot of work around inequalities in the past. And this isn’t equalities montoring. How can people not see that?

Another reason is that this job I’m going for is heavily dominated by men - and quite trans friendly - which is good and fine by me - however as a woman I would like for it to be at least able to monitor the ratio of women to men as it’s one of the only ways they were going to be forced to be more ‘woman friendly’. Sigh...

Makes me more determined to get the job.