Sex Equality and Equity Network - Gender crit network for civil servants.

[fromorbit]

Important new initiative for government workers. This is where a huge fight back is going to happen in behind the scenes government, in memos and meetings. If we don't win in the civil service, it doesn't matter how many demos or cases we win, how many twitter threads we write, sooner or later sex differences will be erased. If you work in government/public sector get involved asp.

seen-network.uk/

"We are happy to announce the launch of our new UK cross-government staff network, the Sex Equality and Equity Network.
SEEN is a staff network committed to promoting and supporting sex equality and equity between women and men in our workplaces, and helping all staff to thrive at work and fulfil their potential. The focus of our network is on challenging sex discrimination and upholding rights and protections that relate to sex (including the protections provided to those with the protected characteristics of sex, pregnancy and maternity and sexual orientation, as set out in the Equality Act 2010). We recognise that to achieve this and ensure sex equality and equity sometimes requires treating women and men differently, according to our different rights and needs.

We are also committed to the protected belief (covered by the protected characteristic of religion and belief in the Equality Act 2010) that biological sex is binary and immutable, that biological sex matters for both women and men in our everyday lives, including for our rights and needs in the workplace, and that biological sex must not be conflated with, or replaced by, the concepts of gender or gender identity."

I have not seen anything on yammer at my Department today, but there is an article for trans awareness week that urges us as allies to ‘be wary of anyone saying that trans rights are in conflict with any one else’s rights’. How is that acceptable?!

It's utterly unacceptable.

Maybe they're saying "beware of these people because they know the actual legal position"!

This is very good news.

I should add that this was an interview piece, so not the department directly writing the words. But I’d argue it’s still not ok

What do you mean it was an interview piece?

In case posters on here are not aware of it, there is a thread on this board devoted to getting this petition signed:

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

I'm pretty sure that unsafe person is in tears because of the hideousness of the thread. She's an ardent feminist I've seen on various women's networks meetings and she is massively pro women. I think she might be taking the piss.

Managed to post about SEEN on web chat in meeting about toilets today in our CS dept. It's a real hot topic in our planned move to a new building.

Is there a wide range of views, @ToiletTroubles? I’m expecting this to become an issue where I work too.

Hope so! I don't really know many of the wider DEFRA people, so the names don't mean much to me

@Borderlinehungry This time nearly 85% of toilet comments were critical of gender neutral 'takeover' (as one comment put it), an increase of about 10% on last meeting.

We have a very diverse workforce in terms of ethnicity and religious backgrounds and over 50 per cent female. Someone noted that our dept could be opening themselves up for religious discrimination claims.

Good to hear, ToiletTroubles.

Worth noting that H&S in the workplace stipulates single sex provision, with numbers for each. If it's 'gender neutral' provision then it has to be 100% enclosed, with sink in the cubicle.

A big raspberry to the moderators at the all staff call at my Dept, who rejected my shout out to the Seen network.
I suspect they are bigots, although it’s also possibly they couldn’t verify it as a legit network.

@ArabellaScott They will be enclosed, which is good on the whole I guess. But many respondents want to retain separate provision, not sharing facilities with opposite sex whether in a side room or on a corridor.

They are happy to some have gender neutral but want to retain separate sex provision as well, which is provided for in H&S as you say.

I also think Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman have made mention of this too, which is particularly relevant to my dept.

In a discussion in my team, no one liked
the idea of mixed sex toilets.

@ToiletTroubles not to detail the thread but a few thoughts.

Whst going against the grain, naming the facilities female and male toilets rather than womens and mens etc. emphasises they are sex based facilities. I would also propose Unisex toilet rather than Gender Neutral, again this emphasises they are sex based facilities.

Point out that men may feel that Unisex facilities with open urinals do not offer them the dignity and respect they are entitled too.

Point out that HSE require a minimum number of toilets per employee. In particular that the number is different based on sex. www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/toilets.htm

Obviously point out that there are 9 protected characteristics and the legislation is clear they are equal I.e. one is not more important than another. Religion is a PC and some women would not be able to use Unisex facilities.

Suggest a compromise, one female and one male toilet made unisex and the rest remain female and male. Ask for stats i.e. what % of employees are Transgender or non-binary. On that basis why make 100% of toilets Unisex when 90% (check stat) of employees are not trans or non-binary.

Note: Only making female toilets Unisex is discriminatory as it disproportionately affects one sex. It also adversely impacts females with a faith. It may also impact HSE ratios.
HTH

I am going to ask the question on our all staff call, although they have moved from anon to having your name there which makes me cautious.

Pretty much no-one anywhere does, according to Sex Matters: sex-matters.org/posts/category/campaigns/single-sex-services-voices/

@ToiletTroubles sorry cross posted with your latest update.

I’ve had to use unisex toilets twice recently because there was no alternative. I know it’s not the biggest issue but I do not like puddles on the seat and floor. Do some individuals stand just inside the door, aim and hope for the best?

This is really good news. The more women get organised the better.

@Princessglittery Thank you, that's a really helpful post. I will ask at next meeting after checking some things on the HSE site.

@Cinker Don't lose hope, you can always try again - I'm sure you're not alone in your thoughts about this.

Not just women but all sex realists!

True!