Category Archives: Equality

Age, Disability, Equality, Ethnicity, Gender, LGBT, Mental Health, Race, Religion, Transgender

EDI Strategy Launch 27th January 2016

cropped-cropped-Change-is-You.png

The University EDI Strategy Launch takes place on 27th January 2016, 12 noon to 5.30pm in Queen Anne Room 180 followed by drinks reception and international buffet. This will be an event marking the launch of the first University of Greenwich the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy

Your opportunity to ‘Showcase’ and reflect upon best practice of student and staff initiatives and activities across the characteristics of age, gender, race, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, religion and belief (non-belief) and as carers of relative or friends.

The message will be to understand how current university practices and processes is linked to equality, diversity and inclusion work and that together we can achieve best practice and deliver better services to all students and staff at the university.

There will be internal and external key speakers (TBC) on the day with stalls and stands in the shared area.

The opening address will be delivered by Professor David Maguire. The event will be chaired by Chief Operating Officer, Anne Poulson. More information will be available nearer the date.

Register you attendance here.

 

Diversity, Equality, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month, Religion

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – January 2016

Rimla AkhtarRimla Akhtar is the first Muslim woman – and one of only six women in total – to sit on the 121-strong FA Council. She is chair of the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation and worked with Olympic organisers to advise them on female representation at London 2012.

Rimla is a Liverpool fan and both coaches and plays football. She captained the British Muslim Women’s football team in 2005 and played cricket for her county as a teenager. Rimla has been involved in a number of campaigns to make football more inclusive, including a successful campaign to get FIFA to accept that women should be allowed to play football wearing hijabs.

As chair of the UK’s Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation (MWSF), her mission is both simple, and daunting: to promote diversity in British sports, an arena overwhelmingly dominated by white men.

She is also the co-founder of The Listening Service, which provides mental health awareness and support for women, with a particular focus on those from ethnic minorities.

Rimla’s achievements were marked when she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to equality and diversity in sport.

Age, Disability, Equality, Ethnicity, Gender, LGBT, Mental Health, Race, Religion, Transgender

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is showcasing a series of events in the coming year in collaboration with SUUG. All students and staff are welcome.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is showcasing a series of events in the coming year in collaboration with SUUG. All students and staff are welcome.

Showcase 1

Let’s debate! To kick-start the event of the year, in collaboration with Student Union, we would like you to join us on:

Thursday 17th December 5.00 – 6.30 pm
King William 315. Greenwich Campus

Share your experiences positive or negative on the topic of ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ as part of our ‘Open Debate’ with a panel of student and staff members. Unable to come along? Send us your comments. Refreshments will be available.

Register your attendance: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/showcase-1-lets-debate-tickets-19780398705

Showcase 2

EDI Strategy Launch 27th January 2016, 12 noon to 5.30pm in Queen Anne Room 180 followed by drinks reception and international buffet. This will be an event marking the launch of the first University of Greenwich the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy

Your opportunity to ‘Showcase’ and reflect upon best practice of student and staff initiatives and activities across the characteristics of age, gender, race, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, religion and belief (non-belief) and as carers of relative or friends.

The message will be to understand how current university practices and processes is linked to equality, diversity and inclusion work and that together we can achieve best practice and deliver better services to all students and staff at the university.

There will be internal and external key speakers (TBC) on the day with stalls and stands in the shared area.

The opening address will be delivered by Professor David Maguire. The event will be chaired by Chief Operating Officer, Anne Poulson. More information will be available nearer the date.

Register you attendance https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-edi-strategy-launch-tickets-19778193108

What we would like from you:

• Examples of best practice in your service/area linked to the characteristics of EDI. It is an opportunity for you to ‘Showcase’ on the 27th January either through you being a key speaker or by having a stall/table or both. Contact c.clark@gre.ac.uk

• We are looking to re-brand the University EDI Logo and ask for submissions by students and staff by 11th January 2016. The new EDI logo will be used on all future University of Greenwich EDI marketing and promotional material.
1st Prize £75 2nd Prize £50 3rd Prize £25

EDI Logo Brief:

A visual logo only. Your own original design. Strong visual colours (consider those who may have visual impairment or colour blindness) A very brief strapline. All submissions to c.clark@gre.ac.uk by 11th January 2016.
Are you interested in becoming part of the judging panel? (To meet on the week of 11th January 2016) Contact c.clark@gre.ac.uk .

Showcase 3.

Diversity Fair Week March 2016 To be announced

Showcase 4.

To finish of the academic year, One Day Equality Fair 20th May 2016 Queen Anne Court. Further information will be announced next year.
Email with your interest to either attend, speaker/hold a stall or being part of the debate on 17th December.

Kind regards

Claire W. Clark
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Age, Diversity, Equality, Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month, Transgender

Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month – November 2015

April Ashley

Transgender Awareness Week, starts on 14 November leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November, when transgender advocates raise awareness of the transgender community through education and advocacy activities. With this in mind we have chosen April Ashley as our Inspirational Diversity Champion of the Month.

April is a model and restaurant hostess and one of the first British people to undergo gender reassignment surgery.

April was born George Jamieson and joined the Merchant Navy in 1951. Following two suicide attempts which resulted in being discharged from the Merchant Navy and being sent to a mental institution, April moved to London from Liverpool. Having started cross-dressing, she moved to Paris in the late 1950s, began using the name Toni April and joined the famous French entertainer Coccinelle in the cast of the drag cabaret at the Carousel Theatre.

In May 1960 April had pioneering seven-hour-long sex reassignment surgery. Following which all her hair fell out and she endured significant pain, but the operation was successful.

After her surgery April became a sought-after model who was photographed by David Bailey and featured in the pages of Vogue magazine. But the joy at her successful transition was not to last. Later in 1961 she was betrayed by a friend who sold her story to the Sunday People for £5. She never worked as model again in Britain and she would continue to suffer prejudice and discrimination in the decades that followed.

In 2005, after the passage of the Gender Recognition Act 2004, April was finally legally recognised as a female and issued with a new birth certificate.

In December 2012 April was recognised for her tireless work on behalf of the transgender community, being awarded an MBE for her services to transgender equality. She was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement honour at the European Diversity Awards 2014

A major exhibition ‘April Ashley: portrait of a lady’ was held at the Museum of Liverpool from 27 September 2013 to 1 March 2015. There is also a film being produced about April’s life.

To find out more about April and her work see her website at http://www.april-ashley.com/

Equality, Gender, Uncategorised

Four ways for women to kickstart their academic careers

Women Academics

Women in higher education face tough odds in the race for senior positions. They might be faced with subconscious bias at interviews or managing the demands of a research career that affords little flexibility to raise families.

The Equality Challenge Unit released the following dim statistics last year: in the UK 45% of academics are women, but 78% of professors are men. And while 55% of academic staff in non-managerial roles are female, 72% of academic staff in senior management roles are male. Only 17% of vice-chancellors are women.  More