Introduction

We are passionate about creating safe, inclusive, intersectional and respectful spaces for debate and dialogue. We believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, to be heard, respected and listened to online and offline.

This online code of conduct outlines our responsibility and duty of care as a convenor of digital events and our expectations of all those participating in our online community, including those attending, hosting and moderating online sessions. We need all participants to be responsible digital citizens by contributing to the online community in line with our code of conduct. By participation, we refer to behaviours carried out using text, audio, images and all other multimedia content.

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To be part of Gender Equality Perth, please opt in, agree and adhere to the WOW Code of Conduct. Anyone who violates this code of conduct may be removed from GEP spaces. If you have difficulty understanding or following this code of conduct, please let us know before the start of an event so that we can help you.

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Principles for participation

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Gender Equality Perth is a community of, and in solidarity with, people from every gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, language disability, mental illness, neuro (a) typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, ethnicity, culture, political opinion, age, skill level, occupation, background or religion.

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Help create a safe space for all participants, our principles are:

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• Be an online active bystander

 

If you see online abuse happening, report it to the GEP host immediately and show kindness to the person who is experiencing the online abuse

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• Seek meaningful human connection

• Be open to transformation (big or small)

• Have an open mind – be prepared to unlearn patterns of behaviour or ideology

• Be respectful

• Be collaborative, participate but active listening is okay with us too

• Recognise and value diversity

• Respect the privacy of participants

• Be aware of language diversity

• Handle disagreement constructively

• Call out biases or prejudices, but refrain from shaming

 

To create an inclusive space we encourage you not to apologise for the following:

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• Having a life beyond your work

• Needing a comfort break

• Your children being present

• Not understanding something

• Being emotional or crying – we celebrate vulnerability as a strength

• Breastfeeding

• Asking for help

• Needing to leave for any reason

• Asking for something to be explained or said in a different way

• Expressing a boundary, for example ‘I don’t want to talk about that’

 

We are committed to protecting and safeguarding all of our participants and speakers. We do not tolerate:

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• Offensive comments relating to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro (a) typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, ethnicity, culture, political opinion, age, skill level, occupation, background or religion. Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those relating to food, health, parenting, drugs and employment

• Harassment and stalking

• Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes

• Hate speech, inflammatory or derogatory language

• Discrimination of any kind, including micro-aggressions or subtle displays of prejudice

• Violence, incitement or threats of violence or intimidation

• Personal attacks

• Encouraging behaviour that violates the code of conduct

• Unwelcome sexual attention or simulated physical contact e.g. textual descriptions like “hug”

• Sexually explicit, violent or triggering material that is not contextualised and preceded by a warning

• Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘deadnames’ or rejected names

• Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from intentional abuse

 

Participants who are asked to stop any kind of the above behaviour are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in any of the above behaviour, the GEP team may take any action we deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all event space.

 

Reporting

Please contact the GEP host of the event immediately if you are experiencing any form of harassment or discrimination, or if you feel unsafe. We ask online active bystanders to report any behaviour that is not in line with our code of conduct.

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Some GEP spaces may have additional rules in place, especially forums dealing with sensitive or potentially triggering content. These rules will be made clearly available to participants. Participants are responsible for knowing and following these rules.

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Complaints

 

GEP prioritises marginalised and vulnerable people’s safety. GEP reserves the right not to act on complaints regarding:

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• “Reverse”-isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’

• Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone” or “I’m not discussing this with you”

• Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial

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Thanks to the WOW Foundation for permission to use their Code of Conduct.