Equality and diversity highlights from last week: European Commission releases a report on the role of men in gender equality, traveller student at Cambridge graduates with a first, LGBT employee network at the Ministry of Defence, and Sally Gardner on the gift of dyslexia.

The European Commission has released a report on ‘The role of men in gender equality’. It is the first EU study which undertakes systematic and comparative research in the fields of education, employment, reconciliation policies, violence and health. The study presents conclusions and recommendations on each of the areas analysed, as well as some guiding principles on how to develop policies to improve the role of men in gender equality.

The first traveller to study at Cambridge University has gone on to gain a first in her degree. Zoah Hedges-Stocks studied history at the Murray Edwards College. When she was accepted into Cambridge in 2010, Zoah said university was not “really part of our world”. Every year, June is marked as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month in the UK.

Simon Cholerton, who heads the LGBT employee network at the Ministry of Defence, is the first out gay man to take on the role. Simon says he decided to take up the role when he became “senior enough” because he felt “you don’t get many people at this level who are out gay”. The LGBT network at the MoD comments on HR policy changes and contributes to the equality and diversity action plan. They also hold an annual conference a day before the London Pride parade.

Sally Gardner, an award-winning novelist, has written about how dyslexia is a gift, not a disability. Sally was classified as ‘unteachable’ at school and didn’t learn to read until the age of 14. Describing her experience of dyslexia, Sally writes, “I can build worlds, freeze the frame, walk around and touch. I can read people’s faces, drawings, buildings, landscapes and all things in the visual world more quickly than many of my non-dyslexic friends.” She also adds that there’s a need for more publicly dyslexic role models for children and adults today.

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