Monthly Archives: July 2017

Diversity, Equality, Ethnicity, Gender, Race

BBC Gender and BAME Pay Gap

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Chris Evans has topped the list of the BBC’s best-paid stars.

He made between £2.2m and £2.25m in 2016/2017, while Claudia Winkleman is the BBC’s highest-paid female celebrity, earning between £450,000 and £500,000.

Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker earned between £1.75m and £1.8m, the BBC annual report said.

Director general Tony Hall said there was “more to do” on gender and diversity.

The figures reveal large disparities between what men and woman are paid.

There is also disparity between what white stars and those from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background are paid.

George Alagiah, Jason Mohammad and Trevor Nelson are the highest paid BAME stars, each receiving between £250,000 and £300,000.  More

Equality, Gender

Andy Murray corrects journalist’s ‘casual sexism’

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Andy Murray has corrected a journalist after he said Sam Querrey, who knocked the British player out of Wimbledon earlier, was “the first US player to reach a major semi-final since 2009”.

The newly-deposed Wimbledon champion reminded the reporter he was only talking about male players, as there had, of course, been considerably more success for the US on the female side of the sport.

Since 2009, Serena Williams has won 12 Grand Slam tournaments.

On social media, Murray was praised for refusing to allow “casual sexism”, and his mother, Judy, tweeted proudly:“That’s my boy.”  More

Equality, Gender, Inclusion, LGBT, Transgender

Tube to change ‘ladies and gentlemen’ announcements

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The “ladies and gentlemen” greeting on Tube announcements is to be scrapped, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

London Underground staff have been told to say “hello everyone” in an effort to become more gender-neutral.

TfL said the move was to ensure all passengers felt “welcome”.

LGBT campaign group Stonewall welcomed the decision, which was supported by London mayor Sadiq Khan at a session of Mayor’s Question Time last month.

The revised phrasing will be applied to all new pre-recorded announcements made across the capital’s transport network.  More

Equality, Gender

Lewes: English semi-pro club to pay men and women the same

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An English semi-professional club believe they have become the first in the UK to pay their men’s and women’s teams the same amount.

Lewes FC’s women’s team plays in the Premier League Southern Division – the third tier of the women’s game.

The men compete in the Isthmian League Division One South, their eighth tier.

Director Jacquie Agnew said: “We hope to spark a change that will help put an end to the excuses for why such a deep pay disparity has persisted.”

As well as giving women’s manager John Donoghue the same budget as male counterpart Darren Freeman, the East Sussex club say they will also ensure the same level of coaching staff, equipment and facilities are provided to the two sides.

The move is part of the club’s Equality FC campaign, which is funded by a combination of the club, donors and sponsors.  More

Diversity, Gender, Inclusion

Meet the Guides encouraging girls into science and tech

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The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is updating its image with a number of new achievement badges aimed at encouraging young women into science and technology.

My memories of the Girl Guides involve marshmallow toasting, tying knots and being assessed on my table-laying skills for a badge no doubt long-consigned to the archives.

Fast forward some 25 years and it’s clear much has changed.

In an international organisation that liaises with Google and Microsoft among others, today’s young guides are just as likely to be gathered round an engineering bench as a campfire.  More

Disability, Diversity, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – July 2017

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Disability Awareness Day is on 16 July and with this in mind we have chosen Henry Fraser as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

In 2009 at the age of just 17 Henry was injured whilst on holiday with his friends.  He dived into the sea as he had done many times before, hit a sandbank and sustained major injuries to his neck, leaving him paralysed from the shoulders down.  Henry was a senior prefect at his school, he was extremely fit and played rugby for Saracens RFC academy.

Henry’s road to recovery has been long and difficult but since his accident he has shown extraordinary courage and is determined to make the most of life and share his experiences with others.

He enjoys great success as a motivational speaker, delivering his ‘Pushing Myself’ talk to a number of high profile businesses and sports teams, including Saracens and England 7’s.

Henry has also become an artist, painting with his mouth, something he became interested in following his accident.  He has painted many famous people and held successful exhibitions. http://www.henryfraser.org/hand-to-mouth-exhibition/

He also established Henry’s Trust, which aims to raise funds to help him achieve an independent lifestyle.

In 2016 the Rugby Players Association (RPA) awarded him the Blythe Spirit Award for his remarkable achievements http://www.henryfraser.org/honoured-to-receive-the-blyth-spirit-award-2016/

To find out more about Henry see here:

http://www.henryfraser.org/

https://twitter.com/henryfraser0