Gender Identity and the Census

Gender Identity and the Census has become an issue, with a hashtag even  starting to be shared called #BoycottheCensus around a rephrasing of one of the questions concerning gender.

The Census is used to collect data on the UK population each ten years, and the data are then used for the next ten years to guide strategy and government thinking. The cost is huge, and the data need to be as accurate as possible. For this reason, there are fines for any household which fails to complete and return the forms.

Kit Rackley has shared their reflections on this on their GeogRamblings blog.

As can be seen, there is a long and involved process in deciding any change in the wording of even a single question on the Census.

The Census 2021 question on sex is “What is your sex?” with response options of “Female” and “Male”. Sex can be defined in different ways. This paper considers five concepts of sex that have been identified. All are valid concepts for data to be collected on, this evaluation is in the context of the Census. These are sex as: registered at birth, recorded on birth certificate, recorded on legal/official documents, living / presenting, and self-identified.

I've previously blogged about the teaching resources which are available around the Census. I will be using some materials shared by Kate Stockings which have adapted these a little, and have subsequently changed them again. I hope all Geographers will 'claim' the Census as a geographical event and find space for it in their teaching in early March - it'll be another ten years before it comes round again, and who know whether it will be in the same format by then...