Meet Jo: RGU's Equality Champion for Sex

RGU appoints Equality Champions for each of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Joanna Bell, Programme Development Manager at RGU SPORT, is the Equality Champion for Sex. Learn more about her and her work supporting our community at RGU.

My name is Joanna (Jo) Bell and I am the Programme Development Manager at RGU SPORT. Within this role, I use physical activity as a vehicle for building community across the campus and in the local area. It is important that everyone, irrespective of their characteristics and beliefs, has a sense of belonging in our facility. We do this by creating an environment that proactively supports health and inclusivity.

As the Staff Equality Champion for Sex, I also want to embed this approach beyond the sporting context. Alongside like-minded colleagues, I promote a university community that encourages open discussion, respectfully challenges attitudes, and celebrates diversity. 

Sex inequalities refer to differences in opportunity between males and females. As champions for this strand, myself and Judith Abolle-Oskoyeagu in the School of Engineering are responsible for collecting feedback from colleagues regarding emerging issues. With support from Kirstin Milne, Senior HR Advisor, we create a safe space for honest conversations through the Sex Equality Action Group (SEAG). My role within this is to address challenges for both sexes. Essentially, acting as a conduit for the RGU staff community, recommending actions to those with decision-making authority.

By using a system that is inclusive by design, I firmly believe that significant change is possible. Being welcoming is simply not enough. Better outcomes can be achieved – at both the individual and societal level – through proactively encouraging protected characteristic members of staff to engage with providing information and sharing ideas. Adopting an approach that responds to the needs of the community and recognises equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace as everyone’s responsibility will accelerate RGU towards inclusivity. 

I became an Equality Champion to positively impact the wellbeing of staff. My own experience as a female participating and working in the sport sector has highlighted the disparity in opportunities, not only between sexes, but across all protected characteristic groups. As such, I have seen the long-term negative impact of sporting inequalities on physical, social, and mental health outcomes. In many ways, a sporting environment is a more extreme reflection of wider society.

Understandably, the connotations associated with sport are unappealing for many – competition, physicality, challenge – and often result from negative experiences during childhood. However, I believe that sport has the power to impact lives beyond the activity itself. At RGU SPORT, we work to overcome barriers to participation by introducing practical measures such as, the free student membership and Female Only swim. I want all members, regardless of background, ability, and their goals to feel a sense of belonging when they cross the bridge to RGU SPORT. 

Over the past year, I have relished the chance to learn from both Champions and Action Groups. Most notably, I’ve realised that equality outcomes can be achieved using other tools too, such as through music and art, and that we can increase the opportunities to build community within the RGU staff network to drive towards a more inclusive environment. Working with staff and students, alongside collaborating with key partner organisations, I want to ensure that that all individuals at Robert Gordon University have the best possible experience.

The opportunity to learn from others is not limited to university-wide discussions. More recently, I worked in partnership with White Ribbon Scotland to further RGU’s commitment to end violence against women and girls. Alongside Student Life, we developed a male-led campaign to encourage men across RGU to make a commitment to ‘never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women in all its forms’. This campaign helped create a platform for discussion, raise awareness of gender-based violence and influence sustainable change. 

It is essential to proactively engage males as key stakeholders in addressing sex inequalities. Acknowledging that they typically have greater power, and using this to amplify the message, will change the out-dated and inaccurate feminist narratives associated with sex equality. The path towards equity requires consideration of biases that have substantial consequences for males, and support from both sexes to overcome them. 

It is a shared responsibility across the University to use International Women’s Day (IWD) as a call to action to question existing barriers and work to address them. It is not only an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of innovative women across RGU and beyond, but to raise awareness of the additional challenges women face to access equal opportunities.

Staff and students will be hoping to ‘Inspire Inclusion’ on Friday 8 March in line with the theme of this year’s IWD. The purpose of IWD is not only to raise the profile of inequalities faced by women, but for organisations to make a tangible commitment to creating positive change. The progress to address these issues is a result of the determination of like-minded colleagues.

You can help advocate by actively participating in communities that share information and provide support, such as the Sex Equality Action Group (SEAG). I would encourage anyone who believes in the values of respect and inclusivity to join! 

To celebrate IWD and Women’s History Month, RGU SPORT will be hosting a Walk and Talk at 12:30 on Friday 8 March, meeting at reception. 

There are several other events taking place across campus. Why not get involved and support an RGU community that champions equality, celebrates diversity, and strives for inclusion.