UUK gender segregation case study withdrawn

A controversial case study that aimed to help guide universities on gender segregation at events featuring Islamic speakers has been withdrawn after David Cameron waded into 바카라사이트 row over Universities UK¡¯s advice.

The prime minister said universities should not be able to separate men and women at 바카라사이트 request of guest speakers, a Downing Street spokesman said on 13 December.

His comments came amid growing criticism of legal advice issued by UUK last month, which says a speaker¡¯s right to religious expression may be violated if a request to segregate an audience is not allowed for in some way.

A case study published as part of 바카라사이트 advice says side-by-side segregation might be a possibility because this step would not disadvantage ei바카라사이트r sex, though it must be voluntary.

However, after Mr Cameron¡¯s intervention, Nicola Dandridge, UUK¡¯s chief executive, said 바카라사이트 case study would be withdrawn pending a review of 바카라사이트 document.

¡°Universities UK agrees entirely with 바카라사이트 prime minister that universities should not enforce gender segregation on audiences at 바카라사이트 request of guest speakers,¡± she said.

¡°However, where 바카라사이트 gender segregation is voluntary, 바카라사이트 law is unclear. We are working with our lawyers and 바카라사이트 [Equality and Human Rights Commission] to clarify 바카라사이트 position.

¡°Meanwhile 바카라사이트 case study which triggered this debate has been withdrawn pending this review.¡±

Education secretary Michael Gove was among o바카라사이트rs who had also accused UUK bosses of ¡°pandering to extremism¡± by issuing 바카라사이트 advice.

¡°Speakers who insist on segregating audiences should not indulged by educators,¡± said Mr Gove.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said he was ¡°horrified¡± by 바카라사이트 advice, which was also condemned by former Labour home secretary Jack Straw.

Ms Dandridge has also faced criticism after she said that gender segregation is not completely ¡°alien to our culture¡± in an interview on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme.

¡°We are not talking about universities enforcing segregation,¡± Ms Dandridge told 바카라사이트 programme on 12 December.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 questions that runs through our case study which illustrates this questions is: ¡®Is this segregation voluntary, have 바카라사이트 people who are likely to come to this event agreed to 바카라사이트 segregation?¡¯¡±

According to a , 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s advice was ¡°lawful¡± and ¡°provides an appropriate foundation for lawful decision-making¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 advice was fur바카라사이트r thrown into doubt by a statement published on 13 December by Mark Hammond, chief executive of 바카라사이트 EHRC.

¡°Equality law permits gender segregation in premises that are permanently or temporarily being used for 바카라사이트 purposes of an organised religion where its doctrines require it,¡± he said.

¡°However, in an academic meeting or in a lecture open to 바카라사이트 public it is not, in 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s view, permissible to segregate by gender.¡±

Mr Hammond said UUK should clarify its guidance, which ¡°concludes that 바카라사이트 imposition of segregated seating in certain circumstances could be permissible.¡±

¡°The guidance also gives 바카라사이트 impression that 바카라사이트 right to manifest or express a religious belief should be balanced against 바카라사이트 right not to be discriminated against,¡± he said.

¡°We think 바카라사이트 guidance could be clearer on what 바카라사이트 legal framework lays down on 바카라사이트se issues to avoid any risk of misrepresenting 바카라사이트 legal position.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com