Equality and Diversity Policy
Gender Equality Policy:
The Centre for Africa's Forests Research, Engagement and Collaboration (CAFOREC) recognises the importance of gender equality and the respect for human rights. The research centre aims to play a significant role in the advancement of gender equality by recognising that women, sexuality and gender minorities are groups vulnerable to social discrimination and inequalities. We acknowledge the existence of different genders and recognise that they all deserve equal rights and opportunities under the Equality and Diversity Act of 2010. This Act protects people from discrimination in the workplace as well as in society.
We believe that gender equality should be promoted in the workplace, in projects and in our programmes, thereby promoting equal opportunities and benefits for all people of different genders. The Centre for Africa's Forests Research, Engagement and Collaboration upholds the rights of women and men and also, for those that do not identify as either. The research centre particularly supports the empowerment of women and others who may be disadvantaged.
We do this by protecting women, men and all those who do not identify as either from discrimination, sexual harassment, abuse, exploitation, violence and intimidation. We also help build awareness while engaging with different stakeholders to support and promote an impactful way of monitoring and evaluating gender equality.
Diversity and Inclusion Policy:
The Centre for Africa's Forests Research, Engagement and Collaboration recognises that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally with dignity, no matter their gender, race, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation. We acknowledge that inequalities, especially of power and privilege in society, including in workplaces, mean that some people are able to take advantage of these circumstances to a greater extent than others. Hence, we aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment in which everyone feels included and can make the best use of their skills, free from harassment, victimization, and discrimination.
Diversity and inclusion ensure that everyone is treated fairly and valued for their unique background, as it fosters a sense of belonging that empowers participation. The Centre for Africa's Forests Research, Engagement and Collaboration celebrates and promotes diversity and inclusion as it benefits the staff, teams and the research projects in the field, including the ability to generate maximum outputs, impacts and outcomes when everyone is included. Our goal is to have a gender balanced team and staff that are representative of different perspectives, cultures, backgrounds, experiences and skills.