NMC 'diversity data'

[CroydianSlip]

I've just had to revalidate my registration and when signing in to the NMC account bit it asked me to fill in some diversity monitoring. It did not ask about my sex (protected characteristic) but it did ask me whether my gender was Man/Woman/Other, and then whether or not my gender identity matched the sex recorded at birth. There was nowhere to say that I don't have a gender identity, just yes/no/prefer not to say.

I have so many problems with this. I genuinely don't have a gender identity. I don't meet most stereotypical female expectations. I don't want to have to have a gender identity. I also can't understand that a profession with such a skewed ratio of M/F isn't recording sex accurately as surely that could affect pension age, workforce planning, maternity leave, carer responsibilities etc etc which is all stuff they need to clear about?

It's made me feel really uncomfortable. It's the nursing regulator. It needs to understand how this makes people feel. Why sex is important. How some people don't have a gender identity (for religion you could select none).

Any other nurses in the same boat?

Yes I had this last time I revalidated. I telephoned them and told them. Then followed up with an email that I never got a reply from

Completely forgot about it until now. My revalidation is due next year. Wonder what else we can do?

It's bothered me more than it should.

In the 'diversities data monitoring guidance' document I found, it states that 'everyone has a gender identity' and I just don't! They also discuss why they don't feel the need to record sex as they don't feel it's necessary. I disagree!

Even if they added an option to say, 'I don't have a gender identity' I'd feel better, like they do for religion.

I'm not sure what to do, how rude of them to not reply!

It should bother you because it’s BS.

Identify as male/female but gender identity is whether it matches birth sex.

I don’t ‘identify’ as female and as I have no gender identity, it doesn’t match my birth sex. Does that make trans? If I ‘identify’ as female and say my gender identity doesn’t match my birth sex, will they think I am a TW???!!! FFS - makes no sense.

Completely against equality requirements.

I think what is really upsettling me is that they don't see any need to record accurate sex-related data either.

Surely it's useful to know how many of your registered nursing workforce in the UK is male or female? How else do we know who is likely to reach pensionable age when? How else do we monitor how we recruit and retain nurses? Whether certain issues or particular successes have any factors in common? How can we possibly look at whether senior nursing positions are held by those representative of the rest of the workforce? Are some areas of nursing more commonly populated by men/women, is that OK, should we change that? Etc etc. I just don't get it.

They understand why we record ethnicity and religion and age etc but they don't get why sex is important?

You’re much better able to keep track of whether you’re doing a good job of keeping people in the profession after maternity leave if you know who’s likely to get pregnant. The “gender” pay gap is very low amongst people in their early twenties - it diverges after maternity / paternity.

Do they record maternity/paternity?

If you don't have a gender identity then it can not match the gender society assumes /assigns to you on birth as a result of your sex

Don't see why that is hard

There was a question about being a carer and whether that was for an under 18 but not maternity specifically

If you don't have a gender identity then it can not match the gender society assumes /assigns to you on birth as a result of your sex

The point is that the sex question specifically asks you if you ‘identify’ as male or female. I dont identify as female so they can’t capture the basic fact of my biology as legally required. They can’t determine the sex of staff or whether they are trans from their questions.

This is not to mention the fact that - despite being a nursing body - the NMC clearly don’t understand biology

The op says it did not ask about sex just gender

There is a second question therefore about why sex is not considered relevant

@midgemagneto

If you don't have a gender identity then it can not match the gender society assumes /assigns to you on birth as a result of your sex

Don't see why that is hard

But this is exactly my issue, it wasn't possible to say that I don't have a gender identity. For religion there were many religions listed but you could also choose 'none' and it would seem sensible to offer the same choice re gender identity as many others may feel like me.

You're right, as you say, there is another question as to why sex is not considered relevant or useful (despite it being a protected characteristic unlike gender identity).