Constitution
Adopted as of 31st January 2023
1. Name
1.1 The name of the network is ‘a:gender’.
2. About a:gender
2.1 a:gender is a fully inclusive cross-government staff network offering support and guidance on transgender and intersex matters.
3. Aims
3.1 To provide members with confidential mutual support in a safe environment.
3.2 To enable members to share experiences of working in government departments, agencies and other associated non-departmental bodies.
3.3 To educate and raise wider awareness across departments and agencies of issues affecting staff on matters as defined in 2.1.
3.4 To promote inclusion and acceptance and to help identify and eradicate individual and institutional transphobia.
3.5 To support compliance with the public sector Equality Duty (as set out in the Equality Act 2010) by helping to identify, and assist in eliminating, bullying, harassment and discrimination of trans and intersex people both as employees and as service users.
3.6 To provide support and advice to, and raise concerns with, colleagues, managers and other stakeholders.
4. Membership
4.1 Membership is open to staff in government departments, agencies and other appropriate non-departmental bodies who know or understand themselves to be trans or intersex where both are defined in the widest sense.
4.2 Any other staff member who wishes to support or help deliver the aims and objectives of a:gender is welcome to join as an ally of the network.
4.3 Members may remain members after they leave the workplace unless there is a compelling reason for them not to and any such instances will be dealt with by the Executive Committee (see section 9.1) on a case-by-case basis.
5. Conduct
5.1 Members must abide by the aims of a:gender (section 3 above) and the Civil Service Code.
5.2 If, in exceptional circumstances, a member contravenes the aims of a:gender or the Civil Service Code, the Chair with the agreement of the Executive Committee may remove them from the membership list and if necessary, may liaise with the member’s line management. Any member facing such a decision will be provided the opportunity to respond.
6. Annual General Meeting
6.1 An Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held once a year.
6.2 Notice convening an AGM including a call for agenda items shall be circulated to members at least twenty-eight days before the meeting.
6.3 Proposed agenda items shall be sent to the Chair no later than fourteen days before an AGM.
6.4 The agenda and any papers shall be circulated no later than seven days before the meeting.
6.5 Only members of a:gender may attend the AGM. Other persons may attend only with the Executive Committee’s express permission.
6.6 The AGM shall:
6.6.1 Receive the annual report, including financial information, for the previous year and the proposed action plan and budget for the coming year.
6.6.2 Consider any other items submitted for discussion and vote on any motions arising.
6.6.3 Receive results of elections for Executive Committee roles in election year.
6.7 Each member attending the AGM may vote on matters put to the meeting for decision. The Chair shall have a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.
6.8 Voting (except in the case of elections, see section 10) shall be by show of hands; but any vote may be taken by ballot of those present at the discretion of the Chair or at the request of a majority of those present.
6.9 Those members attending an AGM shall constitute a quorum.
7. Extraordinary and Special General Meetings
7.1 An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) may be convened at the discretion of the Chair in consultation with the Executive Committee. Discussion shall be confined to the item(s) notified on the agenda, which shall be circulated to members no later than 14 days before the meeting.
7.2 A special general meeting (SGM) may be convened by a written request signed by no fewer than 25% of the full members. An SGM must be held no later than 21 days after receipt of the written request. The request shall be submitted to the Chair and shall be supported by reasons calling for the meeting, together with any proposed motion and the names of the proposer and seconder. Discussion at the meeting shall be confined to the items notified on the agenda, which shall be circulated to members not later than seven days before the meeting.
7.3 Voting at either an EGM or a SGM shall be on the same basis as the AGM (see 6.8).
7.4 Those members attending an EGM or SGM shall constitute a quorum.
8. General Meetings (Also known as Members' Meetings)
8.1 General meetings are any non-voting meetings convened by a:gender for its members. At least three face-to-face general meetings will be held per year unless circumstances dictate otherwise.
8.2 The purpose of members’ meetings is to update the members on the activities of the network and to enable members to talk about any current issues that they wish to discuss. Members’ meetings do not consider or decide upon motions for action.
8.3 Members’ meetings are open to full members. Other persons (i.e. ally-members of the network or non-members) may also attend but only with the permission of all the attending members.
8.4 The Executive Committee will arrange the meetings and notify the members of the date and venue.
9. Executive Committee
9.1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the following positions (“Positions”): Chair, four Vice Chairs, Secretary, Communications Officer, Head of Data Analysis, Community Network Manager and two Ordinary Members.
9.2 The Positions on the Executive Committee shall be filled by members who are elected by ballot of the membership. Those elected will have a vote on the Executive Committee.
9.3 Following an election ballot, the Executive Committee will consist of those elected and shall be seen to be complete, provided that the Chair, Secretary, and at least one of the Vice Chair Positions are filled.
9.4 The Chair, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, may at their discretion co-opt a member into any vacant Position on the Executive Committee.
Their time in Position will automatically terminate on the date the elected Executive Committee steps down to allow a newly elected Executive Committee to take office. Anyone co-opted into a vacant Position on the Executive Committee will have the right to vote.
9.5 The Chair, with the agreement of the Executive Committee, may co-opt a member or ally member on to the Executive Committee to provide support in a specific role (“Role”). Their time in Role will be set by the Executive Committee but will nonetheless automatically terminate on the date the elected Executive Committee steps down to allow a newly elected Executive Committee to take office. Anyone co-opted into a Role will not have a vote on the Executive Committee unless agreed by a vote of the membership.
9.6 Anyone with a Position or Role on the Executive Committee (“Executive Committee Members”) can be removed from the Executive Committee at their request or following a vote of the Executive Committee.
9.7 The Executive Committee Members shall conduct the business of a:gender according to the aims in Section 3 (above) as well as instructions received from any General Meetings and any other membership ballots that from time to time may be arranged.
9.8 The Executive Committee Members shall meet at least once every two weeks unless circumstances dictate otherwise.
9.9 Executive Committee Members shall attend all committee meetings unless circumstances dictate otherwise and shall actively participate in carrying out the business of a:gender.
9.10 The quorum for the Executive Committee meetings shall be a minimum of five Members who have the right to vote on the Executive Committee.
10. Election of the Executive Committee
10.1 All voting members of the Executive Committee shall be elected every two years and shall hold office from the first day following the announcement of the results at the next scheduled AGM.
10.2 Candidates shall obtain prior agreement from their line manager before standing for election.
10.3 Candidates shall be permitted to produce a statement of not more than 250 words in length. The Elections Officer shall ensure that candidates’ statements are distributed to all members not less than fourteen days before the date of an election and that their statements do not make reference to the other candidates.
10.4 Elections shall be by ballot. Each a:gender member shall have one vote for each position to be filled. The votes shall be counted by scrutineers (see 10.5). Candidates with the most votes shall be elected. Elections will normally take place before an AGM.
10.5 An existing member of the Executive Committee may stand for election to a vacant role in addition to their current role. To do so they must first obtain the approval of the rest of the Executive Committee.
10.6 There shall be an Elections Officer who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and who shall be responsible for the fair and proper administration of all aspects of all a:gender elections. The Elections Officer shall not themselves be a candidate for election or a member of a:gender.
10.7 There shall be two scrutineers who shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and who shall be responsible for counting the votes in all a:gender elections. The scrutineers shall not themselves be a candidate for election or a member of a:gender or the Elections Officer.
11. Communications
11.1 All official a:gender communications or other materials must have approval of an Executive Committee Member.
11.2 All a:gender communications, literature or other materials should, as far as practicable, follow the branding and communications guide and include the network logo.
12. Funding and Governance Board
12.1 Each department or agency contributing annual funding to a:gender shall be offered the opportunity to be represented on the funding and governance board.
12.2 The a:gender Chair shall submit an annual business report to the funding and governance board and provide other periodic updates as agreed with the funding and governance board.
13. Interpretation and Amendments
13.1 Wherever the Chair is mentioned in this Constitution, another Executive Committee Member may deputise by delegation from the Chair or by a vote of the Executive Committee.
13.2 The Chair, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall rule on any interpretation of this Constitution and on any matter where it is silent. Any such ruling may be challenged;
13.2.1 at a General Meeting where members raise a motion to dispute a ruling by the Chair. There must be an immediate vote on the motion.
13.2.2 by an a:gender member (including Executive Committee member) writing to the Executive Committee stating the reasons for the challenge. The challenge shall require a simple majority of the votes cast at an Executive Committee meeting to be upheld.
13.3 Amendments to this constitution may be required from time to time and should be notified in writing in the first instance to the Chair and will then require a vote of the membership in order to be accepted.
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