- Conference
- 2022 Virtual Higher Education Conference
- Date
- 13 October 2021
- Decision
- Carried
Conference will recall carrying the motion ‘Trans inclusion in higher education workplaces’ in 2017 welcoming trans members’ active participation in UNISON and accepting that trans equality must be addressed in all workplaces. This motion also endorsed the recommendations of the Parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry into Transgender Equality, which called for higher education institutions (HEIs) to take proactive steps to promote trans equality, including gender identity awareness training, for all university staff.
Despite these positive steps forward, strong evidence still suggests that workplace discrimination remains all too common with a 2018 Stonewall report detailing incidents of gender identity-based verbal and even physical abuse in British universities.
Conference commends higher education institutions that have provided gender identity awareness training for their staff and those that have taken proactive steps to promote trans equality by, for example, having a Transgender Champions scheme for their non-trans staff. One such training is The Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, which addresses the marginalisation some trans and gender diverse people are vulnerable to, which can lead to heightened risks of self-harm and depression, particularly in circumstances where identity denial robs them of a safe environment. Inclusive policies – which recognise trans people, their gender identities, names, and pronouns – have a measurably positive impact upon their wellbeing. Unfortunately, in some places these policies are now under serious attack. An example of this is anti-trans lobby groups applying pressure to HE institutions to pull out of Stonewall’s Diversity champion programme because of its comprehensive trans inclusion. Conference notes that UNISON HE branches should resist any such attack and campaign to make sure their institution does not bow to this pressure.
Trans-inclusive policies in HE have also been subjected to further attacks and accusations that intimidating atmospheres, not in line with academic freedom, have been created by trans-inclusivity. A strong message needs to be sent that respect for gender identities is a duty of care that cannot “be considered antithetical to academic freedom.” Academic freedom is not a licence to deny someone’s human dignity, just as free speech is not a defence for discrimination.
Conference notes there are still many workplace policies and procedures to be reviewed for unnecessary gendering and urges all branches and equality reps to ensure their institution’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion units are tasked with making them as gender neutral as possible. Whilst some students’ unions have already developed their own good practice on trans inclusion and creating safe spaces, UNISON is calling for policies and procedures relating to both the students union workforces and the university workforces to be reviewed.
Conference recommends UNISON’s bargaining factsheet on trans workers equality and the separate UNISON guidance for reps supporting trans members, both of which are regularly updated. These are helpful for any higher education workplace reps who don’t feel confident addressing transphobia or supporting trans members.
Conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group executive to:
1)Promote UNISON’s trans workers’ rights guidance, urging branches, allied with students’ unions where helpful, to insist that workplace policies and procedures are gender neutral where unnecessary gendering has been used. The types of policies that should be monitored include: bullying and harassment; transition at work guidance; family and leave policies.
2)Remind branches to use the UNISON guide for reps and the activist resources available in UNISON’s regional LGBT+ groups and national trans network, to increase awareness and confidence addressing trans equality and gender identity issues;
3)Encourage branches to resist anti-trans groups attempts to push for institutions to pull out of Stonewalls Diversity Champion programme;
4)Liaise with UNISON’s National LGBT+ Committee to seek out further actions that can be taken to support members and Branches in their ongoing work to keep HEI’s trans-inclusive and safe environments for trans members.