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This Code of Conduct applies to all Future VC community members, volunteers, team members in all Future VC Communities online (including but not limited to online events and programmes), Future VC events, and Future VC run projects.

Future VC is an organisation dedicated to inclusivity and representation within the VC industry and wider startup ecosystem. All projects, events, and programmes are there to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex (with or without sexual conduct and including pregnancy and sexual orientation involving transgender status/gender identity, and sex-stereotyping), national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, marital status, and political affiliation as well as gender expression, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, or clothing.

We will not tolerate any instances of harassment, discrimination or assault of any form. This also means any type of bullying and unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct which violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile environment for them will not be tolerated. Harassment does not need to be recognized as unwanted or unwelcome by anyone other than the person being harassed.

Forms of harassment include but are not limited to:

  • Verbal comments, slurs, degrading remarks, and unwelcome jokes
  • Deliberate intimidation, verbal or physical, in person or online
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events,
  • Inappropriate physical contact, or proposition of such contact
  • Unwelcome sexual attention, this may be non-verbal and includes display of sexually explicit or suggestive material. Sexually suggestive gestures.

Discrimination may take many forms, but some of the most common examples include:

  • Verbal: unwelcome jokes, slurs, negative stereotyping, or remarks about someone’s colour, physical characteristics, appearance, nationality or religious beliefs.
  • Visual or written: offensive pictures, emails, notes, or any other written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of their race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age or physical state.
  • Decisions: making judgements based not on ability or suitability, but instead allowing bias (for example in the areas referred to previously) to influence and prejudice a decision.

 

Any incident of harassment or discrimination should be reported immediately via Future VC’s Complaints Procedure.