@SamphiretheStickerist
I received similar, very different work area, and sent back a short reply that included links to the EA2010 and it's guidance. I may have been a little bit more brusque than this, mainly because they acknowledged that women meant 'anyone who identified as a woman' but this is the general gist of it:
Dear ex university of choice.
I am disappointed to hear that you are just now beginning to focus on a 'lack of gender diversity'. If you mean sex based discrimination or lack of females in the sector then you are very late coming to that conclusion. Women have been under represented in all aspects of XX since the role/sector began. For over 100 years the sector has been male dominated and work at increasing female participation is long overdue.
If, however, you mean 'gender' and not sex, chromosomal, biological, then I will have to disappoint you as not only is it not covered in law as a protected characteristic, see links provided, but I personally dislike the term, and all of it's current meanings. I am female by dint of biology rather than ideology and much of the difficulty I have experienced finding work in XX sector has been because of outmoded perceptions of that biology.
I could happily support any drive to increase the number if women considering XX as a career. If this is what you mean, the advancement of biological females, then please, do let me know how I can help.
Perfect. Thank you.
As the word 'diverse' has now come to mean the opposite, would the word 'representative' be a good substitute?
I'm particularly keen on the openly ignored 'Equalities' of Age and Disability.
But also as others remark, the 'deemed non-existent.' For example, not the 'correctly' homeless but the 'Hidden Homeless'; a far, far greater number. Millions, almost none officially recorded.
Or, the Old but not as the fantasised stereotype has it, attended by adoring family, nor living in care homes or nursing homes, Nor owning their own homes nor having secure-for life council tenancies.
What of those who don't 'refuse' to go for a brisk daily run, but (again, in their never-mentioned millions) are physically unable to do such tricks?
We certainly don't find a representative number of physically attractive people of all ages, particularly women. Nor of people who are carers for adults at home (predominantly women)
We never hear about those, again numbering millions, who are Poor But Not Claimants. It s people of all ages and for all reasons, including 2 million extremely old, Silent Generation, on less than £100 old State Pension, but not even getting Pension Credit
Who in the media has ever even mentioned the vast numbers of people (predominantly women) who are subjected to every type of abuse, under the roof where they must live, and cannot escape; but whose abuse counts, as they do, for nothing, because the abuser is an incorrectly compliant box ticker for them to qualify for D.V. protection? They will normally be the Most helpless, the Most trapped, and the Least able to simply pick up a bag and go somewhere else to live.
Dump diversity in faviour of representation, and see the current yellers represented and mentioned in proportion, i.e. hardly at all. Disability Discrimination [and Age Hate] are "worse than Racism" said Sir Trevor Phillips while Chair of Equalities.
A huge re-think would result from cursory re-balance of what interests men and what interests women.. Boys and men largely tend to, (and are overwhelmingly socialised to) love competition. It's sublimated fighting. Delete from broadcast shedules everything aggressive or competitive and there would be virtually nothing left. (Even demonstrating cooking in the pleasant, helpful, Delia way was chucked out in favour of making every single thing part of a competition) At least equally arguably, if one person's idea of pleasure is taking delight in seeing a great many other people sad, that is not the best or only way to behave.
(P.S. Has anyone noticed Pip and Posy, a gentle little children's programme where every delightful episode quietly encourages emotional consideration, care of others and of nature?)