SEEN (Sex Equality and Equity Network) at KCL is the first UK university community network committed to promoting and supporting sex equality and equity between women and men in our workplace. It takes its inspiration from similar networks that have been created in professions such as the police, the civil service and journalism.

We are also committed to the protected belief that biological sex is binary and immutable (there are only two sexes and this cannot change); 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.

In recent years there has been a significant erosion in the rights of women in UK higher education. In addition, those who have spoken out on the issue have often faced discrimination and restrictions on their academic freedom. Research has been compromised, public events have been cancelled, often due to intimidating protests and many staff and students are afraid to speak out.

SEEN at KCL will work to promote a culture of genuine diversity, where lawful views can be safely expressed and where all staff members can feel welcome, whatever their protected characteristics.

The Network will engage with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team to ensure that our lawful beliefs and rights are understood and that formal policies and practices do not adversely impact female staff or gender-critical staff. The Network shall provide our members with a voice by working with colleagues to progress the issues that impact on and concern our members and help to ensure that equality and diversity issues continue to be consistently promoted and embedded within the University's core values.

These issues affect us all. The network is open to staff and PGR students. Our member database is held securely and access to this database is strictly limited to the SEEN at KCL executive and is not shared with the University or other members.

 

SEEN at KCL 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.

The Network will work alongside the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team to ensure that formal policies and practices do not adversely impact female staff or gender-critical staff. The Network shall provide our members with a voice by working with colleagues to progress the issues that impact on and concern our members, and help to ensure that equality and diversity issues continue to be consistently promoted and embedded within the University's core values.

The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for the effective management of the SEEN network.

 

• Sex is an important component of the needs of female staff and students, it should be considered in policy making and should not be conflated with gender-identity.
• Women should be able to discuss their rights freely and without fear of harassment.
• Staff should be able to conduct research and teaching from a gender-critical perspective without obstruction.

 

SEEN at KCL supports sex equality at King’s by challenging sex discrimination and upholding rights and protections that relate to sex. 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. SEEN at KCL also supports those who hold the protected belief 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.

 

The voices SEEN at KCL wishes to amplify are:

• Women, as defined by their sex.
• Those who experience discrimination because of their belief in binary sex.

 

SEEN at KCL is open to any staff member at KCL who believes in the importance of women’s sex-based rights.

The Network is open to Post Graduate Research (PhD) students.

 

• The management committee will be appointed from the membership to support the delivery of the aims.
• The Committee shall be jointly chaired by a Co-Chair (Community) and a Co-Chair (Strategy).
• The size of the management committee will be at the discretion of the Co-Chairs, but ideally shall be a maximum of 15 people.
• The defined positions may be varied at the discretion of the Co-Chairs and shall depend on the activities and strategic goals of the Network at the time.
• Each defined position shall have a role profile, which will include the purpose and description of the role.
• People can be co-opted to join the management committee (for various intervals). This enables the management committee to widen its skills base from time to time and gives opportunities to people in SEEN at KCL to develop their skills.
• The management committee may at any time form task and finish working teams, drawn from the membership to work on, and report to members on issues that affect female staff or gender-critical staff.
• The management committee will meet (in person or remotely) as required.
• Notes of management committee meetings should be circulated to Committee members within 10 working days of the meeting.
• Length of service. SEEN at KCL will provide development opportunities for its membership. To create these opportunities and maintain a fresh outlook, the term of membership on the management committee should not be indefinite but is at the discretion of the Management Committee. Existing members who have been on the management committee for an extended period should ideally step down or change their committee role, although this may be dependent upon other factors such as the Network’s activities and strategic goals at any particular time.
• All SEEN at KCL members are eligible to stand for appointment to the management committee.
• Appointment may take place at any time of the year.
• It will be the responsibility of the management committee to periodically review the Network’s business plan and objectives.