̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Equality and Diversity

Celebrating remarkable talent as part of Black History Month

ps748 — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:07:42 +0000

Events in Cambridge for Black History Month

Cambridge's Race Equality Lecture

Jesus College, Thursday 31 October

It may seem odd, but we start at the end of the month because this year’s Race Equality Lecture will take place on Thursday 31 October. ̽��ֱ��lecture is titled “Racism without racists – how racism works in the USA and the western world.” It will be delivered by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Professor of Sociology at Duke ̽��ֱ�� and former President of the American Sociological Association. It will take place in the Frankopan Hall at Jesus College and will be available to view online.

Book your place at the Race Equality Lecture

Olaudah Equiano Annual Lecture on Race Justice

Anglia Ruskin ̽��ֱ��, Wednesday 9 October

Lord Simon Woolley, Principal of Homerton College and co-founder of Operation Black Vote, will deliver the Olaudah Equiano Annual Lecture on Race Justice at Anglia Ruskin ̽��ֱ�� on Wednesday 9 October. ̽��ֱ��event will take place at the Cambridge campus and starts at 6pm. Lord Woolley is a tireless campaigner for equality, not just for Black communities but all under-represented or marginalised groups. During the event he will discuss the fight for racial equality drawing on his own personal experiences.

Book tickets for the Olaudah Equiano Annual Lecture on Race Justice

Moving beyond stereotypes surrounding Black women

King's College, Thursday 10 October

On the evening of Thursday 10 October, celebrated authors Kelechi Okafor and Afua Hirsch will discuss the challenges and opportunities they have faced when calling out social injustices in their work, with a focus on how their own identities have shaped their activism. They will share insights on the creative processes involved in their writing and how it has impacted on conversations about race, womanhood and justice.

Reserve a place for the discussion at King's

Collaborative art workshops

Robinson College, Wednesday 16 and Saturday 19 October

For those interested in modern art Robinson College is hosting two collaborative art workshops. ̽��ֱ��first, on Wednesday 16 October, will be hosted by London artist, Shem, on the theme ‘Black present now’. And then, on Saturday 19 October, the College will host Joshua Obichere, a Cambridge alumnus.

Panel discussion: Black excellence, health and wellness

St Edmund's College, Wednesday 16 October

Also on the afternoon of Wednesday 16 October, St Edmund’s College will be hosting a panel discussion on the themes of Black excellence, health and wellness. Speakers include economist and entrepreneur Ebenezer Ademisoye, clinical scientist, Dr Rafia Al-Lamki and Mastercard Scholar, Godspower Major.

Reserve your ticket for the panel discussion at St Edmund's College

Fireside chat at the Business School

Cambridge Judge Business School, Thursday 17 October

Lord Woolley will participate in a ‘fireside chat’ at the Business School on the afternoon of Thursday 17 October. ̽��ֱ��event will be chaired by Kamiar Mohaddes and will also include Tabitha Mwangi, Programme Director of the Mastercard Foundation, and Orobosa Isokpan from the Cambridge Africa Business Network. There will be networking opportunities as well but registration is essential.

An exhibition and events at St Catharine's College

St Catharine's College, throughout October

During the entire month of October, St Catharine’s College is hosting an exhibition showcasing the achievements of two prominent Black alumni. ̽��ֱ��pioneering doctor and civil rights activist Dr Cecil Clarke matriculated in 1914 in the first months of the First World War. Wendell Mottley was an Olympic athlete and economist who served as Trinidad and Tobago’s Finance Minister between 1991 and 1995. ̽��ֱ��exhibition commemorating them is being held in the Shakeshaft Library.

See the full programme of Black History Month events at St Catharine's College

̽��ֱ��Blacktionary Show

Wolfson College, Saturday 19 October

On Saturday 19 October Wolfson College hosts the ‘Blacktionary Show’. Authors Dr Maggie Semple and Jane Oremosu will be discussing their new work ‘My Little Book: A Blacktionary - ̽��ֱ��pocket guide to the language of race’. ̽��ֱ��book aims to help break down barriers when it comes to engaging in conversations on race. ̽��ֱ��event will be introduced by Dr Kenny Monrose, from the ̽��ֱ��’s Department of Sociology.

Panel discussion: how organisations promote equality and diversity in the face of a cultural backlash

Homerton College, Tuesday 22 October

On Tuesday 22 October Lord Woolley will again be participating in a discussion being held at Homerton College looking at how companies and other organisations promote equality and diversity in the face of a cultural backlash. Other prominent speakers include the successful businesswomen, Olu Orugboh and Yemi Jackson.

̽��ֱ��Trevelyan Lecture: 'Black Genius: Science, Race and the Extraordinary Portrait of Francis Williams'

Bateman Auditorium, Gonville and Caius College 5 pm Friday 25 October (Faculty of History)

Francis Williams was a Jamaican polymath who was born into slavery but ended his life as a gentleman and a scholar. His portrait, dating from the 1740s, shows him surrounded by books and scientific instruments. Was he Cambridge's first Black student? And who commissioned the portrait, and why? Princeton historian, Fara Dabhoiwala, will tackle these questions when he presents new research on the painting and its intriguing sitter.

Black History Month Academic Seminar

Hughes Hall, Monday 28 October

An opportunity to hear from the College's Black staff and PhD students and celebrate their achievements but also to hear about the challenges facing Black students at Cambridge. One of the main subjects for discussion will be the low numbers of Black academics in the UK.

More details about the seminar here

̽��ֱ��Really Popular Book Club: Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo

Online, Tuesday 29 October

On Tuesday 29 October the ̽��ֱ�� Library’s Really Popular Book Club will be discussing Bernardine Evaristo’s ‘Mr Loverman’. ̽��ֱ��book follows an Antiguan born immigrant living in Hackney, London, who leads a double life. ̽��ֱ��discussion will be hosted by Yvonne Battle Felton, Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education. This is an online event.

Black Advisory Hub events

St John's College, Wednesday 30 October

During the afternoon of Wednesday 30 October, the Black Advisory Hub is hosting a social and afternoon tea for Black students at St John’s College. It's one of many events the Hub is hosting. These include induction sessions for both undergraduates and postgraduates and the prizegiving ceremony for the Bridgetower essay competition.

Visit the Black Advisory Hub to register

Cambridge Students' Union events

St John's College, Thursday 3 October

̽��ֱ��Cambridge Students' Union is also hosting several events to mark Black History Month. This opens with a screening of the documentary 'Educationally Subnormal: a British scandal' on Thursday 3 October.

Visit the Cambridge SU to see what's on

Black History Month in Cambridge brings an opportunity to take part in topical discussions, appreciate art and hear from a range of engaging speakers.

Montage of faces

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Rainbow flag to fly over ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge to mark start of LGBT+ History Month

cjb250 — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:01:33 +0000

Apart from the ̽��ֱ�� flag, no other flag is normally flown over the building, although the flags of the Sovereign or other Heads of State have been raised when they have visited the Old Schools or the Senate-House.

“LGBT+ History Month provides an opportunity not only to remember the struggles faced by LGBT+ communities around the world, both in the past and the present, but also to celebrate the contribution they have made to society,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope.

“Our university comprises a diverse range of nationalities, religions and opinions. Many of our members come from countries in which to be openly LGBT+ would result in discrimination, violence, imprisonment or even execution.

“I hope that flying the rainbow flag over the Old Schools will send out a message that we are committed to helping create a society where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is able to reach their full potential.”

Professor Toope is a strong advocate for civil and human rights and has been publicly supportive of the LGBT+ community, speaking on the main stage at last year’s inaugural Cambridge Pride.

In recent years, an overwhelming majority of colleges, as well as ̽��ֱ�� departments and institutions, including the ̽��ֱ�� Library, have shown their support for LGBT+ History Month – and for their LGBT+ members, their friends and families – by flying the rainbow flag as well as hosting a wide range of events. At Trinity College this year, Professor Dame Sally Davies, the College’s first female Master, will raise the rainbow flag to herald the start of the month.

Dr Miriam Lynn, Equality and Diversity Consultant, added: “It’s wonderful to see so much support for LGBT+ History Month across the ̽��ֱ�� and its Colleges. This year’s nationwide theme is Poetry, Prose and Plays. Cambridge LGBT+ alumni have made a huge contribution in these fields, from playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe and writers including EM Forster and Ali Smith through to acting giants such as Sir Ian McKellen and Miriam Margolyes.”

̽��ֱ��rainbow flag – the international symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community – will fly over the Old Schools, at the heart of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, for the first time on Monday to mark LGBT+ History Month.

We are committed to helping create a society where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is able to reach their full potential

Stephen J Toope, Vice-Chancellor

sps1955

Cambridge - Old Schools (rainbow flag added)

This year’s LGBT+ History Month events include:

LGBT History Month Lecture: 'Sex, Laws and Violations' – Gay rights from the 1960s to the present day

5.30-6.30pm, 26 February

Faculty of Law, ̽��ֱ�� Of Cambridge

Martin Bowley, QC, was called to the Bar in 1962 and served as a Recorder from 1979 to 1988, when he had to stand down after being outed by the Sun newspaper. Since then he's been a passionate advocate for gay rights and supported the campaign group Stonewall from its earliest days. In the late 1990s, he served on a government committee which led to the reform of the UK's sexual offences legislation. Martin will be in conversation with Paul Seagrove, Communications Manager and former BBC broadcast journalist.

Book here

LGBT+ Staff Network History Month social

6pm, 5 February

Saloon Bar, ̽��ֱ��Maypole, Portugal Place, Cambridge

Join us for a special History Month staff social - your chance to meet colleagues from across the ̽��ֱ��, Cambridge Assessment, Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Press and beyond over a relaxing drink.

Diversity cinema

12:30pm – 1:30pm, 13 February

Norwich Auditorium, ̽��ֱ�� Information Services

Celebrating LGBT+ History Month with a selection of films looking at queer trailblazers from the past.

Book here

Bridging Binaries: Thinking Beyond Borders

4-6pm, 18 February

McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Downing St, Cambridge, CB2 3ER

̽��ֱ��Department of Archaeology's second annual LGBT+ History Month lecture Queer(y)ing the Past, this year delivered by Dan Vo (V&A). All are welcome to attend. Drinks reception to follow the talk.

More information

Rainbow crossings: safe spaces for LGBT+ at home and abroad

4.00-5.30pm, 19 February, Michaelhouse Cafe, Trinity St., Cambridge CB2 1SU

An enduring search for safe spaces has defined the precarious movement of the LGBTQI+ communities and minorities. Organised by Newnham College, this event seeks to discuss safer spaces within Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��panel and workshop will bring together activists, artists and academics to create a map of safer routes and spaces for LGBTQI+ people in Cambridge.

Details here

LGBTQ+ Engineering Coffee Morning

10:30-11:30am, 24 February, North Room, Department of Engineering Library, Trumpington Street

Join us for a coffee to celebrate LGBT+ History Month. All welcome!

Killing Patient Zero UK Premiere and Q & A

7:30pm – 10pm 28 February 2020

Cripps Court, Magdalene College

̽��ֱ��UK premiere of Killing Patient Zero, the new Canadian documentary feature film directed by Laurie Lynd and winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at Sydney’s Queer Film Fest 2019. ̽��ֱ��film is based on the award-winning book, Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic, written by Dr Richard A. McKay, a Magdalene College Lecturer and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science.

Notoriously (and erroneously) known as “patient zero” of the North American AIDS epidemic, Gaétan Dugas has often been portrayed as a psychopath, wilfully infecting other gay men with HIV during the early 1980s. By exploring how Dugas’s infamy came about, this powerful documentary challenges that stereotype and paints a portrait of how gay men and women challenged rampant homophobia during the worst years of the epidemic.

̽��ֱ��event is free to attend.

Book here

CamQueerHistory

Throughout February, CamQueerHistory – a group of Cambridge undergrads, grads and staff – will be running a series of events on topics including: Queer activism and the rise of the right, Queer Clothes: Sartorial Non-Conformity and Gender Expression, Essentialist Epistemology and the Exclusion of Bisexuality from Islamic Theology of Same-Sex Desires and Acts, and Rebel Dyke Histories.

Details here

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ Tours at Cambridge Museums

February – June 2020

From queens, emperors and divine beings, to scientists, artists and global communities, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in Cambridge collections. How do labels and categories affect the stories we choose to tell, or how we connect with each other? How do they affect our interaction with the natural world, and how we imagine the future?

With tours running across an impressive seven museums, volunteer guides will share their personal selection of fascinating stories about gender and sexual identity through a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-related objects.

Details here

For the full line-up of events across Cambridgeshire during LGBT+ History Month, visit the Encompass Network website.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Attribution-ShareAlike

Taking pride in our researchers

cjb250 — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 07:04:58 +0000

To mark LGBTSTEM Day, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer scientists, engineers and mathematicians around the world, our researchers tell us why celebrating diversity is important – and why identities really do matter.

Celebrating Cambridge’s LGBT+ scientists and engineers

cjb250 — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 23:00:09 +0000

To mark the event, the ̽��ֱ�� has released a film in which staff and researchers from the ̽��ֱ��, AstraZeneca and the Wellcome Genome Campus discuss their experiences of being LGBT+ in Cambridge – and why it is important to be who you are.

"While we have witnessed an increase in inclusion and equality efforts in STEM organisations and companies, we have to recognise the many challenges individuals continue to face, especially members of the LGBT+ community," said Dr Alfredo Carpineti, founder of Pride in STEM and one of the organisers of the initiative. “That's why we launched LGBTSTEM Day. We hope for this to be a day of celebration, of reflection, and of engagement. LGBTSTEM Day is part of the global push to increase the visibility of minorities in STEM fields.”

̽��ֱ��celebrations highlight the need for more role models to help enable LGBT+ scientists and engineers to be able to express themselves and to encourage others to consider a career in STEM. As Dr Sara El-Gebali, Scientific Database Curator at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) says in the film: “Sadly there are very few [LGBT role models in science]. It’s not because we’re not here, it’s because we’re not seen. We’re not officially here.”

Anna Langley, Computer Officer at Cambridge’s ̽��ֱ�� Information Services, was one of the founding members of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s LGBT+ Staff Network. She works in an environment where diversity is a problem, but says that things that are changing.

“Working in IT is still a very straight, white, male, cis environment,” she says. “But generally, I think that the university is trying to do the right thing in terms of diversity. It’s trying to ensure that people are treated fairly regardless of their background, their gender identity, their sexuality.”

Having a supportive work environment is essential in helping staff both personally and professionally, says Christopher Fox, Associate Scientist at AstraZeneca/MedImmune: “I don’t think I’d be as confident as I am at work if I didn’t have people around me who were openly gay or openly lesbian, people who are happy to be themselves. It made me feel that I can be myself.”

Elizabeth Wynn, Advanced Research Assistant at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, adds: “I think it’s important to be who you are, to be able to live as your authentic self, because you’re never going to be truly happy or productive or complete if you’re trying to silence or hide some part of yourself.”

For Langley, being ‘out’ at work is important not just for oneself, but to support others. “If you’re not visible as someone who’s LGB or T, intersexual, queer, non-binary, whatever, then you’re making it that little bit harder for other people to be open about their experience too, […] to be comfortable in their skin in the working environment.”

̽��ֱ��film’s contributors all describe Cambridge as being a very positive, open city in which to live and work.

“There’s a real emphasis on ‘it’s what you can bring to the table in STEM rather than who you are’,” says Fox. “It’s about what you can achieve, not what your sexuality is.”

Michael Rivera, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Anthropology, agrees: “With such a diverse, knowledgeable population in Cambridge, I think it’s very likely that you will find many friends to make here with common interests to you. You will find lots of allies who are open to different backgrounds and different sexualities – and maybe you’ll even find someone very special to spend time with!”

For Dr El-Gebali, her move to Cambridge has made a huge difference to her life. “Being in Cambridge has helped me to come out, not just to my friends and family, but also to work,” she says. “It’s the first time in my long career when I can officially say ‘Yeah, here I am and I’m not the only one’. Cambridge has been really, really good to me.”

This year, staff and students from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Press, marched together as they joined thousands of others in the parade at Pride London on Saturday 7 July. AstraZeneca and scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute also marched together as part of the Proud Science Alliance group.

Cambridge celebrated the first ever LGBTSTEM Day on 5 July – recognising all those who work in science, technology, engineering and medicine and who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other minority gender identities and sexual orientations.

I think that the university is trying to do the right thing in terms of diversity. It’s trying to ensure that people are treated fairly regardless of their background, their gender identity, their sexuality

Anna Langley

Celebrating Cambridge’s LGBT+ scientists and engineers

Yes

Let’s celebrate Pride – and let our young people be proud, too

cjb250 — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:49:51 +0000

Tomorrow, tens of thousands of people will descend on London to celebrate Pride, the annual march through the streets of the city to celebrate lesbians, gays, people who are bisexual and transgender and those who belong to other sexual minorities – the LGBT+ community.

Where last year’s parade was swelled by people marching in solidarity with those tragically killed in the terrible shooting at Orlando earlier that month, this year’s may well be boosted by a positive celebration: fifty years since the decriminalisation of gay sex.

Anyone old enough to remember this point in history, or even the eighties, when the spectre of AIDS hung over the gay community and the Thatcher government introduced Section 28 to prohibit local authorities from "promoting" homosexuality, will realise how far we have come since then. In 2017 the rights of our LGBT friends in our community are protected in law, and same sex marriage is broadly accepted.

But while I don’t want to rain on everyone’s parade, we – LGBT and straight alike – shouldn’t be too complacent. There is still a lot of work to be done.

Last week, the charity Stonewall, which campaigns for equality for LGBT people in all walks of life, published a report looking at the experiences of LGBT pupils at our schools. ̽��ֱ��research behind this report was led by Dr Vasanti Jadva from Cambridge’s Centre for Family Research and was a follow up to its two previous studies, published in 2007 and 2012.

̽��ֱ��findings of the study give us cautious optimism – but I want to stress that word, cautious. Compared to the previous studies, it found that pupils at our schools encounter less bullying based on their sexual or gender identity, are less likely to hear casual homophobic language such as “faggot” or “lezza” and are more likely to be taught about LGBT issues at school. But that does not mean that these problems have gone away. And for one group in particular – those pupils who define themselves as transgender – their experiences are far from positive.

More than 3,700 LGBT young people aged 11-19 across Britain took part in the study, completing an online questionnaire asking about their experiences at school, online and at home.

̽��ֱ��top line finding of this important report is very positive: homophobic and biphobic bullying has fallen by a third over ten years. But this masks the fact that 45% of our pupils are still bullied because they are LGBT. And if you are trans, more likely than not you will have been bullied – 64% of trans pupils report being bullied. Even more horrifying, nearly one in ten trans pupils have been subjected to death threats at school.

Half of LGBT pupils frequently hear homophobic language at school. ̽��ֱ��phrase “that’s so gay” – used infamously by DJ Chris Moyles during his spell on Radio 1 – is still used very commonly, with 86% of pupils regularly hearing this or similar phrases at school.

What happens when teachers witness the bullying or hear such offensive language at school? Not enough, it seems. Fewer than a third of LGBT pupils say their teachers intervened when they were present during the bullying, and seven in ten say teachers only ‘sometimes’ or ‘never’ challenge homophobic, biphobic or transphobic language when they hear it.

There have been improvements, though: the number of schools that tell their pupils homophobic bullying is wrong is up from a shameful 25% when our researchers first did their study to 68% this time round. Faith schools are most likely to let their pupils down – just 57% tell their pupils that homophobic bullying is wrong, and only 29% tell them transphobic bullying is wrong.

Schools are more likely to teach their pupils about LGBT issues now, too. In 2007, 70% of pupils had never been taught about such matters, but this is down to 40% now. But again, if you’re trans, your experience is much worse – three in four LGBT pupils have never learnt about gender identity and what ‘trans’ means at schools (and in fact, this is a similar figure for bisexuality).

We know that positive role models can help pupils as they grow up, and it’s perhaps a reflection of the changing environment in which gays and lesbians can marry and are more visible that means that 27% of LGBT pupils known of an openly gay member of staff and 22% of an openly lesbian member of staff. But the stigma surrounding bisexuality and transgender is reflected in that only a tiny minority know staff in these groups (4% and 3% respectively).

So what does all this mean for a pupil’s development? We know that mental health issues among young people are becoming an increasing concern, and this is particularly reflected among LGBT pupils. An alarming 61% of LGBT pupils have deliberately harmed themselves, and more than one in five (22%) have attempted to take their own lives, a figure barely changed since 2012. This is just not acceptable.

Stonewall has rightly used the findings of the report to make a number of recommendations to improve the experiences of LGBT pupils across the country. Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, described the report as “a wake-up call for schools, government and politicians on just how far we still have to go."

While some of the recommendations are aimed at ensuring that staff are empowered to offer appropriate support to their LGBT pupils, many are aimed at showing their pupils that it’s okay to be LGBT. If this report tells us one thing, it’s the importance of allowing people to celebrate who they are, no matter their sexuality or gender identity. It’s what we strive for at Cambridge, to be a university to which any student can aspire to come and not only engage in great scholarship, but to also be free, happy, and proud of their individuality and sexuality.

̽��ֱ��Stonewall report encourages us to celebrate difference and make the diversity of LGBT people visible. This is what Pride is all about – and you can see the impact it can have by listening to those who have been fortunate enough to attend. Lauren, a 16 year old pupil in the East Midlands, who contributed to the study put it so clearly when saying that: “After I went to Pride, I felt much more confident and able to come out because of how well bisexuality was accepted there. Going to Pride helped me to gain confidence in myself and to come out.”

So go out there tomorrow, enjoy yourself. Be proud. And let our children and teenagers see that they, too, have so much to be proud about.

If you are an LGBT+ young person in or around looking for help and support, you can contact ̽��ֱ��Kite Trust, which offers free support for LGBT+ people under the age of 25.

̽��ֱ��opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author.

At the end of June, the charity Stonewall produced a report along with Cambridge’s Centre for Family Research into the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pupils at our schools. On the eve of Pride London, Dr Nick Bampos, one of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Equality and Diversity Champions looks at the findings.

We – LGBT and straight alike – shouldn’t be too complacent. There is still a lot of work to be done

Nick Bampos

Nicky Rowbottom

Pride London Parade, July 2011

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

Major institutions across the county declare their support for diversity by taking the Equality Pledge

pbh25 — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 16:04:45 +0000

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Cambridge City Council have underlined their support for diversity and equality across the city and beyond by taking the Equality Pledge.

Joining them are leading organisations from across the county including councils and emergency services.

̽��ֱ��Equality Pledge is being made today during the national pre-launch celebration event for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans History Month 2016 which is being hosted in Cambridge.

Setting out how organisations in the county value diversity, the Equality Pledge states:

“We believe in the dignity of all people and their right to respect and equality of opportunity. We value the strength that comes with difference and the positive contribution that diversity brings to our community. Our aspiration is for Cambridge and the wider region to be safe, welcoming and inclusive.”

Eilis Ferran, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “Diversity and equality play a crucial role in sustaining the ̽��ֱ��’s academic excellence. With more than 10,000 employees the ̽��ֱ�� is a microcosm of Cambridgeshire’s diverse population and by taking the Equality Pledge we are recognising and celebrating and supporting that diversity.

“We hope that other organisations and individuals will join us in this important initiative.”

Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of Cambridge City Council: “One of Cambridge’s greatest undoubted strengths as a city is its uniquely diverse nature, attracting people from all over the world, some of whom have fled persecution and intolerance elsewhere.

“By making the Equality Pledge we are clearly stating the commitment of our city to being open and welcoming to everyone who lives here, works here or visits here.”

̽��ֱ��partner institutions also signing up to the Equality Pledge are: Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Huntingdonshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, and South Cambridgeshire District Council, and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.

To make your own Equality Pledge visit: www.cambridge.gov.uk/equality-pledge. You can also show your support by Tweeting the special Twitter-friendly Equality Pledge: “Dignity. Respect. Equality. We value the strength that comes with difference & the positive contribution diversity brings”. ̽��ֱ��hashtag is: #EqualityPledge.

̽��ֱ��formal launch of the Pledge takes place tonight at 6pm at Queens’ College in Cambridge (November 26) at a special showcase event marking the pre-launch celebration for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans History Month 2016.

Image credit: Cambridge News. L-R, Kevin Coutinho of the ̽��ֱ��'s Equality and Diversity section with Eilis Ferran, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations.

̽��ֱ��new Equality Pledge is being supported by the ̽��ֱ��, local councils, health services and emergency services.

Diversity and equality play a crucial role in sustaining the ̽��ֱ��’s academic excellence.

Eilis Ferran, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Institutional and International Relations

More information:

Twitter Equality Pledge: "Dignity. Respect. Equality. We value the strength that comes with difference & the positive contribution diversity brings. #EqualityPledge."

National Pre-Launch event for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans History Month 2016: ̽��ֱ��event highlights the need to challenge homophobia and transphobia in the run-up to the month long programme of activities taking place across the UK and beyond in February. ̽��ֱ��National Pre-Launch provides an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of LGB&T communities to our society. ̽��ֱ��theme for LGB&T History Month 2016 is Religion, Belief and Philosophy. For more go to www.schools-out.org.uk.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

Yes

HeForShe’s #GetFree Tour visits Cambridge

pbh25 — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 08:45:53 +0000

Following UN Women’s announcement, the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is pleased to welcome the inaugural HeForShe #GetFree Tour for a vital discussion on the importance of gender equality.

̽��ֱ��HeForShe #GetFree Tour is a new effort, bringing a global conversation on gender equality to young people around the world. ̽��ֱ��#GetFree Tour will enable students to express themselves and explore their own understanding of gender issues, empowering them to take a lead in advancing equality in their environments and communities, say its organisers.

̽��ֱ��HeForShe GetFree Tour will visit six universities in the U.K. and France: ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, Imperial College London, ̽��ֱ�� of Leicester, the London School of Economics and Political Science, ̽��ֱ�� of Nottingham, ̽��ֱ�� College of London, and the Paris Institute of Political Science (Institut d'études politiques de Paris) respectively. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Leicester and the Paris Institute of Political Science are part of HeForShe’s IMPACT 10x10x10 programme, which engages ten leaders across three sectors to drive systemic change.

"It's this generation of young people who will be the ones to steer our societies and our economies into the living reality of what it means to be equal. Their energy and dedication to making this change happen are inspiring," said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, introducing the initiative. " ̽��ֱ��#GetFree tour is a perfect way for us to connect directly with thousands of students. We are grateful to the universities for their warm welcome and hope that this is just the beginning of a journey around the world on the road to gender equality.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said: “For more than 800 years the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has been at the forefront of the ever-changing face of education and has benefited from the widening diversity and equity among its staff and students. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ��'s diversity plays a key role in sustaining its academic excellence, enabling it to carry out global research to tackle the challenges facing the world today. We are happy to stand side-by-side with HeForShe and declare that we believe in the dignity of all people and their right to respect and equality of opportunity.”

The #GetFree Tour will visit the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge on October 6 for a lively discussion on how different genders impact on aspirations, experiences and opportunities. Prominent personalities including actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw will join university leaders, CUSU (Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Students’ Union) and students to discuss the relevance and meaning of gender equality to universities in the 21st century.

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge joins Universities across the UK and France for inaugural #GetFree Tour.

What's happening on October 6?

̽��ֱ��HeForShe campaign bus will be on Parker’s Piece as part of the Freshers’ Fair from 10am. Information about HeForShe and gender equality will be provided alongside an opportunity to sign up to the HeForShe solidarity movement.

Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz will introduce the event at 12.30pm followed by keynote speaker, the actress, Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Following her speech a panel discussion moderated by Dame Barbara Stocking, President of Murray Edwards College, will be held.

It will feature Jack Bertram of McKinsey and Company, Elizabeth Nyamayaro of the UN, and CUSU Women’s Officer Charlotte Chorley.

There will be a moderated question and answer session following the discussion.

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For image use please see separate credits above.

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Equality champions announced

pbh25 — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:28:14 +0000

Professors Anne Davis (left) and Judith Lieu (right) have been appointed gender equality champions for the ̽��ֱ��.

Professor Lieu will cover gender activities for the Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences. Professor Davis will have responsibility for STEMM subjects.

They succeed the ̽��ֱ��’s former gender equality champion, Professor Dame Athene Donald, who became Master of Churchill in October.

Professor Davis says that while improvements have been made in gender equality within the ̽��ֱ��, there is still a long way to go. “There are still assumptions and attitudes and not enough women represented at all levels within the ̽��ֱ��. You cannot call yourself a top university if you only utilise the talents of a proportion of the country defined by gender,” says Davis.

Professor Lieu adds: “This is not just an issue for women – it is an issue for the ̽��ֱ��, not just because of equality legislation, but because fostering the best talent is paramount.”

Both professors say the "leaky pipe", which sees so many women leave academia as their careers develop while their male counterparts remain, must be addressed.

New equality champions have also been announced this month for schools and institutions. ̽��ֱ��roles were created in 2009 “to demonstrate senior leadership and support for equality and diversity matters and initiatives”.

̽��ֱ�� welcomes new gender equality champions

This is not just an issue for women – it is an issue for the ̽��ֱ��.

Professors Judith Lieu

̽��ֱ��new equality champions for Schools and institutions are:

Dr Minna Sunikka-Blank, Professor John Rink (Arts and Humanities)
Professor Alison Bashford, Dr Brendan Burchell (Humanities and Social Sciences)
Professor Valerie Gibson, Dr Nick Bampos (Physical Sciences)
Professor Gordon Smith, Professor Fiona Karet (Clinical Medicine)
Dr Tim Minshall, Professor Sabine Bahn (Technology)
Professor Ottoline Leyser, Professor Daniel St Johnston (Biological Sciences)
Geraldine Dufour, Tim Knox (institutions independent of any School).

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page. For image rights, please see the credits associated with each individual image.

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