Latest blog from the Chair of the Working Group on data on sex and gender. The Chief Statistician states "What is clear is that there isn’t a standard way that data about sex and gender is being collected, either in Scotland or the UK". blogs.gov.scot/statistics/201…
This lack of consistency is reflected in other policies. Public organisations routinely muddle sex & gender, misinterpreting equalities legislation. Earlier today we highlighted this example from the just published Cashback for Communities Programme EQIA:
This @mbmpolicy blog shows how only *seven* out of Scotland's 32 local authorities consistently listed ‘sex’ as the protected characteristic in their policies.
murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2018/12/13/rev…
murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2018/12/13/rev…
The Citizens Advice Scotland Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form replaces the protected characteristic of sex with gender, and then asks about gender identity: 
More examples here: Inclusion Scotland ask about gender, and refer to 'gender assigned at birth'. The Care Inspectorate also muddles sex and gender, and refers to gender identity assigned at birth.
From the Scottish arts sector, Creative Scotland state that gender is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, while National Theatre of Scotland shoehorn sex, gender identity and DSD conditions into a single category.
The STA/Stonewall guide to Equalities Monitoring recommends asking about gender, not sex as 'This will help make it clear to people that you are asking them to tell you about their self-perception of their gender rather than about their biological sex.' scottishtrans.org/wp-content/upl…
The Scottish Police Authority incorrectly refers to gender as a protected characteristic, as does the Scottish Prison Service and the Forestry Commission.
The Scottish Housing Regulator also cites gender as a protected characteristic, along with Historic Environment Scotland.
Close the Gap (which works to address women's inequality at work), Scotland's Rural College, West Lothian Licencing Board and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (final screenshot) all state that gender is a protected characteristic.
This Times article describes how COSLA instructed officials to replace sex with gender in all formal documents and correspondence. thetimes.co.uk/article/top-ci…
Why are so many organisations getting this wrong? This Scottish Government guidance note on asking questions on gender states that 'the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination because of gender'.
www2.gov.scot/Resource/0039/…
www2.gov.scot/Resource/0039/…
The Scottish Government Equality Evidence Strategy 2017-2021 refers to gender in the list of protected characteristics. This is also reflected in the Equality Evidence Finder.
This blog by @Scottish_Women details more examples from the Scottish Government website.
