EDI Policy
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry is the national body representing members engaged in the profession of chemistry in New Zealand. We are committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and recognizing the distinct status of Māori as tangata whenua, with whom we look to partner to achieve greater diversity and inclusion within the scientific community.
We believe that science must be inclusive of people from many backgrounds, and we acknowledge that we need to do work to remove the barriers that still remain for people from underrepresented groups. We are committed to the safety and support of our members, and therefore will work to promote inclusion, and prevent bullying and discrimination in all their forms.
We commit to appropriate representation of our community at all New Zealand Institute of Chemistry events. It should be noted that we currently have a membership comprised of 30% women. Where events have multiple speakers a programme is required to be provided to the President of the NZIC in advance to ensure that it does not misrepresent our community. We also encourage all event organisers to think of ways to encourage broader diversity.
The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry has the following policies in place, and we require all members to abide by and implement them. This document and the policies within are to be taken as a whole.
Conference / Meeting Code of Conduct
As an institute representing all professions involved in the pursuit of excellence in Chemistry, we value the free exchange of ideas and respectful debate, and we understand our responsibilities in ensuring that our community supports these values. The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry is therefore committed to providing a harassment-free experience for participants at our hosted and sponsored events regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion.
Harassment and hostile behaviour are unwelcome at any New Zealand Institute of Chemistry event. This includes speech or behaviour (including in public presentations and on-line discourse) that intimidates, creates discomfort, or interferes with a person’s participation or opportunity for participation in the event. We aim for New Zealand Institute of Chemistry events to be an environment where harassment in any form does not happen, including but not limited to: harassment based on race, gender, religion, age, colour, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Harassment includes but is not limited to: verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination [related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, etc]; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; and advocating for or encouraging any of the above behaviour.
It is the responsibility of the community as a whole to promote an inclusive and positive environment for our scholarly activities. In addition, any participant who experiences harassment or hostile behaviour may contact any current member of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Council or contact the event organiser who is usually available at the registration desk of the event. Please be assured that if you approach us, your concerns will be kept in strict confidence, and we will consult with you on any actions taken.
Implementation
This policy should be posted prominently on all event webpages, with a notice of a list of people who can be contacted by members and attendees with concerns. In case of a formal complaint, the contacted New Zealand Institute of Chemistry representative(s) will first speak to all parties involved to try to resolve the issue – without presupposition of guilt.
For New Zealand Institute of Chemistry sponsored events, a condition of sponsorship is that event organisers develop and adopt a similar code of conduct or harassment policy, post that policy prominently on event websites, and provide contact details for the event attendees in case of complaint.
Sponsorship Policy
The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry is committed to increasing diversity in chemistry, and as such, our expectation when sponsoring events is that event organisers will have a documented plan to achieve balanced gender and cultural representation in keynote and invited speakers, and on panels, as well as processes to ensure representative diversity amongst general event attendees. We note that gender is not binary.
Furthermore, we expect organising committees to be diverse, and to have documented plans and processes for supporting broader diversity in conference attendees, speakers, and invited speakers.
We also expect event organisers to create a safe space for all participants in New Zealand Institute of Chemistry sponsored events, and ask that organising committees implement a Code of Conduct – our own CoC is available as a reference, and a New Zealand-specific collated resource for conference or event organisers is available at http://conference.hopper.org.nz/.
Applicants for New Zealand Institute of Chemistry sponsorship are required to:
- Supply their documented plans and processes for ensuring representation in speakers
- List the membership of their organising committee
- Submit a draft Code of Conduct, with their letter of application
Childcare Policy
The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry recognizes the family/caring responsibilities that members may have and is committed to ensuring that these responsibilities are not a barrier for members wishing to participate in NZIC events. To discuss your requirements, please contact nzic.office@gmail.com or the event coordinator.