Hi @WMPolice @WestMidsPCC @EHRC @EHRCChair @KishwerFalkner @RJHilsenrath @trussliz @GEOgovuk

On your page about Diversity, Inclusion and Support, you have 'gender' in a list of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010:

https://jobs.west-midlands.police.uk/police-officer-recruitment/diversity-inclusion-and-support/

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'Gender' is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and is not defined in the Act.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/2/chapter/1

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Sex is the protected characteristic under the Act, but that is not on your list.

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The Diversity Survey in your job application asks for the 'gender' of the applicant with options:

Male
Female.

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'Gender' is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and is not defined in the Act.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/2/chapter/1

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Sex is the protected characteristic and the only two possible options for sex are 'Female' and 'Male' as defined in the Act and consistent with biology.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/11

'Gender' is not a synonym for sex.

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You then ask "Gender identity if other than ‘male’ or ‘female’" with options:

Trans
Transgender
Non Binary
Gender Neutral
Cross Dresser
Transvestite
Androgyny
Intersex
Other (Prefer not to Say).

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'Gender identity' is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and is not defined in the Act.

Female and male are the two sex classes under the protected characteristic of sex. They are not 'gender identitites.

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None of the other terms are part of the protected characeristic of sex and are not used or defined in the Act.

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Intersex is not a 'gender identity' and those with a Difference of Sex Development are still male or female. It is generally considered derogatory to those with DSDs to consider them not to be male or female.

10/18

You also list 'gender' here, but yet again, 'gender' is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and is not defined in the Act.

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Asking about a personal characteristic such as 'gender' that is not a protected characteristic under the Act, may be in breach of the GDPR by processing personal - and potentially Special Category - data without a lawful basis.

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If you choose not to gather data on specific protected characteristics (such as sex), you cannot have the information required to ascertain whether or not you could be discriminating on protected characteristics in recruitment. This could be vital in an employment tribunal

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If you choose to discriminate on characteristics (such as 'gender') that are not protected characteristics under the Act, you may inadvertently indirectly discriminate on protected grounds.

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Given these errors and your use of incorrect terms, it's not clear how you can meet your Public Sector Equality Duty or how you have met it in the past given your data could have been corrupted by those who didn't provide their sex.

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Nor is it clear how you can have had due regard to the other duties given the data you have collected.

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Language and meaning of words are important and proper use & understanding of terms is vital so that the public is aware of what rights they have and what your duties are. Any confusion or inconsistency over meaning may prevent people from accessing their rights in law.

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Will you undertake to correct these errors and to review all your other policies, documents, reports, etc to ensure compliance?

Please respond to this and also to my two previous threads:

https://twitter.com/zeno001/status/1161793889067552773

https://twitter.com/zeno001/status/1322238755273670656

https://www.sexnotgender.info/list 

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