Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on a Gender Equality Policy

The COUNCIL and the GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:

Introduction

1. The University's Equal Opportunities Policy was approved by Grace 3 of 22 May 2002, while the University's policy statement on race equality was approved by Grace 2 of 23 July 2003. Under the Equality Act 2006 the University is required to have in place a similar policy statement on gender equality.

2. The University's policy statement on gender equality which is set out in paragraphs 3-6 below will further develop and clarify aspects of the general Equal Opportunities Policy (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 152) (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/policy/equal.html), spelling out the University's commitment to fulfilling its duties under the Equality Act 2006 including the new duty to promote gender equality.

Policy statement

3. The University is committed, in its pursuit of academic excellence, to equality of opportunity and to a pro-active and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity. This commitment is underpinned by the University's core values, expressed in its mission statement:

freedom of thought and expression;

freedom from discrimination.

4. The University is therefore committed to promoting gender equality, seeking to eliminate sex discrimination, and promoting the positive statutory duty for gender. In order to fulfil its duty the University will have due regard to the need:

to eliminate discrimination and harassment;

to promote equality of opportunity between men and women.

5. The University will fulfil these requirements in relation to all aspects of its work, namely governance, leadership, and management; research and scholarship; student admissions, access, and widening participation; assessment and academic progress; teaching and learning, including curriculum design and delivery; provision and access to support services; staff recruitment, selection, training, career development, and progression; conduct; partnerships and community links. These are functions directly affecting staff and students at work and study.

6. The University recognizes that all areas of its activities are interconnected and interdependent. Thus all members of the University and all staff share a collective responsibility for these functions, according to their individual roles and responsibilities, and all are expected to have due regard to the duties and goals set out above. The Council and the General Board have a particular responsibility in relation to all these functions, on behalf of the Regent House and the University. Those in leadership and other senior roles, such as heads of institutions, also have special responsibility for many of these functions.

Recommendations

7. The Council and the General Board recommend:

I. That approval be given for the policy for gender equality set out in paragraphs 3-6 above.

II. That the Council and the General Board be given authority to approve such activity plans as they consider necessary in the interests of efficient operation of the policy or to reflect future changes in legislation.

22 October 2007	ALISON RICHARD, Vice-Chancellor	M. CLARK	G. A. REID
	ROSS ANDERSON	S. J. COWLEY	DAVID SIMON
	TONY BADGER	BOB DOWLING	VERONICA SUTHERLAND
	NICK BAMPOS	S. ENSOR-ROSE	JOAN M. WHITEHEAD
	Z. BARANSKI	M. FLETCHER	RICHARD WILSON
	NIGEL BROWN	DEBBIE LOWTHER	S. J. YOUNG
	WILLIAM BROWN	D. W. B. MACDONALD