We are committed to ensuring equality for students and staff of all genders, and promoting respect and kindness in discussions surrounding gender, gender identity and sexuality. Definitions We use the term sex to refer to the biological aspects of an individual, so a person’s sex is assigned at birth. Sex is typically determined by a person’s anatomy, which is produced by many factors, including hormones and chromosomes. These factors interact in various ways, making sex very complex. It is generally acknowledged that sex can refer to someone who is male, female or intersex. Gender is separate from sex, as it is a social construct surrounding a person’s behaviours and attributes. It is generally based on labels and ideas of masculinity and femininity, and how someone presents their gender may differ from another who shares that identity. Gender identity is a personal, internal perception of oneself, and must never be assumed. Sometimes the gender someone identifies with matches the sex they were assigned at birth. This is called cisgender. Sometimes this is not the case, and a person’s gender identity does not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth (for example, someone who was assigned female later identifies as a man). This is called transgender. Gender can also be fluid, and a person’s gender may change over time (genderfluid). Some people may not have a gender at all (agender), while others may identify with a gender outside of the binary man/woman (non-binary). See the UK government's guidelines for more information regarding sex and gender and their differences. Inclusive Language and Behaviour The School of Mathematics aims to provide students and staff with an inclusive community where gender is never assumed. We are doing this by promoting gender-neutral language, and encouraging all staff and students to change their Microsoft and Outlook settings to identify gender-specific language and offer alternative words instead. The School also follows the new Inclusive Language Guide released by the University, which outlines the importance of treating everyone with respect, and using the correct words and pronouns to do so. However, the most important and easiest way to be respectful is to ask the individual their preferences, as each individual is different. The School of Mathematics has gender neutral bathroom facilities and baby changing facilities in both JCMB and the Bayes Centre. For further information, see our facilities section. Facilities | Equality, Diversity & Inclusion The School also provides a comprehensive list of pronouns for staff and students to choose from on the new Learn Ultra system. This allows members of the School to display their preferred pronouns easily, at their own discretion and with no need for formal documentation. "The Leaky Pipeline" in Mathematics The term "leaky pipeline" is a metaphor referring to the structural and systemic barriers in place which impede the progression of women's careers in STEM subjects. In university mathematics, this is commonly seen after undergraduate study, where the gender gap gets progressively larger, resulting in a very limited number of women in senior positions. The School of Mathematics is working on many initiatives to promote a learning and research environment which is supportive of women and seeks to offer equitable opportunities wherever needed, details of which can be found in the Action Plan. Further Reading "Why LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Matters in Higher Education - LGBTQ and ALL" is an article detailing the importance of tackling discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the university Pride In STEM is a worldwide charity aiming to promote LGBTQ+ people in STEM, and they run a podcast discussing issues they have faced surrounding sexuality and gender identity Scottish Trans Alliance is an organisation working to share the experiences of transgender people in Scotland, and improve the gender identity and reassignment structures in place Stonewall are a charity working to stand up for members of the LGBTQ+ community, who provide lots of information regarding workplace discrimination Pronouns is a useful resource with lots of information surrounding what pronouns are and why they are so important "Being a Trans Mathematician: A Q&A with Autumn Kent" is an informative interview with a transgender mathematician, who discusses her experiences being trans and a mathematician working in a university Equate Scotland is an organisation dedicated to making a positive difference for women working in, studying, or entering STEM "A Chemical Imbalance -a film, a book, a call for action" is a short documentary which celebrates female scientists, looks at why women are still so under-represented in STEM, and warns that unconscious bias is our biggest obstacle "A seat at the table isn't the solution for gender equity" is a TedTalk by creator, actress, and author Lilly Singh offering ways to build a more inclusive society where women are encouraged and empowered to do great things. "Academic Women Now: experiences of mid-career academic women" is a booklet detailing the careers of female members of the Young Academy of Scotland, recognising emerging leaders and revealing their routes to success EUWiSTEM is the Edinburgh University Women in STEM Society who aim to inspire and aid women in STEM whilst in the University Stemettes is an organistation working to support young women in STEM, and encourage more girls to pursue it as a career Reports and Papers PNAS: "Science faculty's subtle gender biases favour male students " is a report of a study where a single application file randomly assigned a male or female name was rated more successful when associated with the male name by faculty participants across a range of universities Journey of Experimental Social Psychology: "Successful female leaders empower women's behaviour in leadership" is a study by the Elsevier Foundation on how exposure to female role models empowered women's behaviour and self-evaluations in leadership environments "Now Hiring! Increasing Faculty Gender Diversity in STEM" is a study by the American Institute of Biological Sciences presenting a three-step intervention in higher education hiring processes to help institutions increase staff gender diversity Science Report: "Gender sterotypes about intellectual ability emerge early" is a report about how gender-discriminatory stereotypes relating to academic ability and leadership have been observed in children as young as six, and these stereotypes are impacting children's interests and studies To read more about these initiatives, see the School of Mathematics’ EDI Action Plan and our Initiatives and Events page, and see how you can get involved. This article was published on 2025-04-22
