After the short bank holiday week, we bring you the equality and diversity round-up for the last two weeks. Highlights include – forced marriage to become a criminal offence, business world still intolerant of homosexuality, sexual harassment at the workplace, why women scientists leave the academia, and EHRC’s report on workplace solutions for disabled people.
David Cameron has confirmed that forced marriage is to become a criminal offence in England and Wales. The prime minister said he had listened to concerns that making forced marriage a specific criminal offence could deter victims from coming forward and would in response put into place a comprehensive package of protection and support to ensure “this most distressing issue” was not driven underground.
Lord Browne, former chief executive of BP, has said that the business world remains more intolerant of homosexuality than other fields, such as the legal profession, the media and the visual arts. Lord Browne didn’t come out publicly until the end of his 40 year career at BP. Speaking at the launch of Connect Out, an LGBT Network, Lord Browne said he wants “leaders in companies, and not just in human resources” to “think about inclusion in every decision they take”.
A study conducted by legal experts has revealed that over half of all female employees have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace. Two-thirds of women who have experienced harassment at work said their boss or other male colleagues had made inappropriate comments about what they are wearing, while 43 per cent have been sworn at by colleagues and/or propositioned in a manner which made them feel awkward.
A recent report says that young women scientists leave academia in far greater numbers than men with only 12% of third year female PhD students wanting a career in academia. Women more than men see great sacrifice as a prerequisite for success in academia and the impediments they encounter are disproportionate.
Finally, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a report on workplace solutions for disabled people and business. The report presents evidence on the impact of current disability and work ‘remedies’ – what’s working well for individuals and businesses and what might work better. The report explores barriers created by traditional ways of working, and the potential of flexibility and re-configured work to support innovative workplace delivery of the social model of disability.
Have something to add? Email Equality.and.Diversity@lse.ac.uk.
