Gender
A person's gender denotes their social and cultural role and responsibility, as opposed to their sex, which is dependent on their physical form. There has been a long campaign for gender equality in the workplace and this has led to two laws focussing on equality in the workplace. The Equal Pay Act (1970) entitles employees to equal pay for equal work, and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act made it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sex and marriage in the area of employment.
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 provides for Gender Recognition Panels to assess applications from transsexual people seeking legal recognition of their acquired gender. Further information on transsexualism, including the new legislation.
The Gender Equality Duty (GED) came into force in 2007, placing a legal responsibility on public authorities to promote gender equality and eliminate sex discrimination and harassment. The duty requires organisations to develop a gender equality scheme and NHS organisations are also required to address the causes of any gender pay gap and conduct gender equality impact assessments. Under the duty authorities also have an obligation to eliminate discrimination and harassment on the grounds of gender reassignment.
- Find out more about the legislation in Great Britain
- Find out more about the legislation in Northern Ireland
The Women in Academic Medicine Project has launched its report ‘Women in academic medicine: developing equality in governance and management for career progression’.
Launch of the Women in Academic Medicine full report, April 2008
The executive summary and recommendations of the report from the Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) Project, July 2007.
Women in academic medicine report
Many women are striving to achieve equality in the workplace across the UK. This resource looks at the situation for female doctors.
Medical women: internet resource
Women are severely under-represented as clinical researchers, full time academics and heads of departments, yet they are a growing proportion of the medical workforce.
Encouraging women to work in academic medicineWomen in academic medicine - challenges and issues
A report of two focus groups which outlines some of the past and present difficulties faced by women pursuing a medical academic career, September 2004Gender links
Links to sources of further information related to gender