FICEDA was established in 2017 with a membership of global and international significance (5 members having published articles concerning equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) matters relating to anatomy). The members were from the US (4), Australia & New Zealand (4), Europe (4), Britain (2), Africa (3), the Indian subcontinent (2), China (1), and South America (1).

The initial concern of the committee was to respond to a request from the Executive of the IFAA to consider anatomical terminology related to ‘pudere’ and a report was presented to the Executive in July 2018 (see attachment). In summary, the committee deemed that terms derived from ‘pudere’ were inappropriate anatomically, scientifically and in terms of EDI. This view was endorsed by the IFAA Executive. However, the Chair of the terminology programme (FIPAT), subsequently only agreed to a limited number of changes and there resulted in a heated exchange of view with the Executive being challenged as to its authority to direct FIPAT. The resulting impasse led to the Executive issuing a moratorium on further discussion that has led to the issues unfortunately not yet being fully resolved.

Secondly, the Executive asked FICEDA to provide the IFAA with a general statement concerning protection in the anatomical community against discrimination with respect to sex, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, race or age. The resulting statement devised by FICEDA, and uploaded onto the IFAA’s website, was approved by the IFAA Executive and by representatives of the IFAA’s constituent member societies.

Thirdly, FICEDA devised a questionnaire concerning EDI to ascertain the opinions of the IFAA’s constituent member societies and to assess the range of policies available within the societies. 24 constituent member societies of the IFAA provided responses. The results of the survey were reported to the IFAA community, including at the Istanbul IFAA Congress. On the basis of the findings, EDI guidelines from the IFAA were agreed and are available on the IFAA website.

The IFAA’s EDI guidelines include two important directives for the future of FICEDA:

1. The membership of FICEDA will change significantly, beyond the IFAA’s Korean Congress, being composed of the EDI officers from the IFAA’s constituent member societies. Once constituted, FICEDA members will then suggest someone from amongst their peers to become Chair and to be approved by the IFAA Executive and the General Assembly ad referendum;
2. Each IFAA’s constituent member society will have to report annually to FICEDA on its actions relating to EDI.

Thanks are due to all present members of FICEDA for their work and guidance during the first years of its existence and we wish the new committee well in its drive to ensure that the anatomical sciences are free from, and protected from, discrimination and prejudice.

Odile Plaisant (Chair)
Bernard Moxham (Secretary)
August 2024