Separate but equal; where have we heard that before?

Universities UK, the representative organisation for the UK’s universities, apparently believes that gender segregation is acceptable at British universities.

It has claimed that segregation should be permitted in talks by external speakers so long as the women are seated alongside the men and the segregation is left to right rather than front to back.

Universities UK (UUK) published a 40-page report, titled ‘External Speakers in Higher Education Institutions’, on the subject in the wake of numerous controversial events this year where segregated seating has been applied.

So now they want to allow segregation at public meetings in publicly financed institutions.

In March, noted atheist physicist Professor Lawrence Krauss threatened to leave a debate with Islamic lecturer Hamza Andreas Tzortzis at University College London (UCL) after it emerged that the organisers had attempted to segregate the audience.

In another incident in April, it was alleged a sign was posted on the door of a debate at Leicester University directing men and women to different entrances.

The National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Student Societies found at least 40 cases within the last year where religious speakers demanded – and got – segregated university audiences.

Non-segregated seating at ‘segregated events’ is also discussed in the report; Universities UK warned that not offering such seating could be discriminatory to other beliefs, such as the belief in freedom of choice, freedom of association and feminism.

Nonetheless, Universities UK said steps to accommodate those with beliefs opposed to segregation should “not result in a religious group being prevented from having a debate in accordance with its belief system”.

“Ultimately,” the report says, “if imposing an unsegregated seating area in addition to the segregated areas contravenes the genuinely-held religious beliefs of the group hosting the event, or the those of the speaker, the institution should be mindful to ensure the freedom of speech of the religious group or speaker is not curtailed unlawfully.”

The report continues: “Those opposed to segregation are entitled to engage in lawful protest against segregation, and could be encouraged to hold a separate debate of the issues, but their views do not require an institution to stifle a religious society’s segregated debate where the segregation accords with a genuinely-held religious belief.”

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said the report was produced to ensure institutions could host external speakers “both safely and within the law”.

“External speakers play an important role in university life, not least in terms of encouraging students to think for themselves, challenge other people’s views and develop their own opinions,” Danridge said.

She added: “Although most speakers are uncontroversial, some will express contentious, even inflammatory or offensive views.

“Universities have to balance their obligation to encourage free speech with their duties to ensure that the law is observed, the safety and security of staff, students and visitors secured, and good campus relations promoted.

“In practice, achieving this balance is not always easy.”

There is of course a business case for extending segregation.

The chairman of the Islamic Education and Research Academy Abdurraheem Gree pointed out that; ‘the idea of being forced to sit with people of the opposite sex and observing the adoption of anti-Islamic policies by British Universities might well lead many [foreign students] to avoid choosing this country to further their education.’

‘Such behaviour is not in the economic interests of universities or indeed the country as a whole.’

Nick Cohen, writing in the New Statesman, pointed out that Universities UK is taking a momentous step, which goes against 150 years of struggle for women’s emancipation, without judicial or parliamentary authority.

He asked Danridge about racial segration, and she said Universities UK could not recommend racial segregation because Parliament has banned it; when asked what about speakers insisting that homosexuals sit on one side of a hall and heterosexuals on another? she said she did not want to see gays singled out.

But women apparently don’t matter to Danridge. So Cohen said he could only conclude, like the rest of us, that she had no understanding that powerful groups segregate to humiliate their targets and to enforce their ideologies.

And, as Yasmin Alibhai Brown asked in the Independent, what will they do if a Muslim female Mandela sits with the men? Will she be carried out and thrown down the steps?

A petition calling for this ‘guidance’ to be rescinded immediately and for sex segregation at universities to come to an end has already raised over 7,500 signatures.

A protest is being held on 10 Decemberoutside the Universities UK offices at Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HQ from 5.00pm to 6.30pm.

For facebook details of the event, click here.

You can sign the petition against Universities UK’s guidance by clicking here.