Sex
Sex is a protected characteristic and can be the subject of direct discrimination and victimisation.
Sex generally refers to a person’s anatomy, whereas gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviours that a given culture associates with a specific biological sex. A person may identify strongly with one gender, multiple genders or none at all.
Sex is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, but gender is not. At the University we believe that sex and gender terms should not be used interchangeably.
The University has been a member of the Athena Swan Charter since 2008. The charter recognises and celebrates good practice towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all.