Last Updated: February 2025
WICA (Women in Construction Anglia) is committed to protecting your personal data
and ensuring compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK
GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018, and all relevant UK privacy laws. This policy
explains how we collect, use, store and protect your data while ensuring your rights
are respected.
1. Data Controller
WICA acts as the Data Controller for personal data collected through our platform
and services. If you have any questions regarding data protection, you can contact
our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at: [DPO Email Address]

2. What Data we collect
We collect and process the following types of personal data:
• Account Information (name, email, job title, company, student/apprentice
status)
• Profile Information (professional background, interests, location preferences)
• Mentoring & Networking Data (if you opt into mentorship programs)
• Technical Data (IP address, login data, browser type, device information)
• Communications Data (messages, interactions, community contributions)
We do not collect special category (sensitive) personal data, such as race, political
views, religious beliefs, or health data, unless explicitly required and with your
consent.

3. How We Use Your Data
WICA processes your personal data for the following lawful purposes:
• To provide platform services (networking, mentorship, learning opportunities)
• To manage your account and preferences
• To improve our platform and user experience
• To send relevant updates and notifications (only if you opt-in)
• To ensure compliance with our Terms of Use and safeguarding policies
• To meet legal obligations or respond to regulatory requests
We will only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under
UK GDPR.

4. Legal basis for processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases for processing personal data:

1. Consent – Where you provide explicit consent (e.g., opting into newsletters or
mentorship programs).
2. Contractual Obligation – Where data is necessary to provide WICA’s services.
3. Legitimate Interest – For essential business functions, such as security, fraud
prevention, and improving platform experience.
4. Legal Obligation – Where required by law to retain or disclose certain data.

5. Data sharing & third parties
WICA does not sell your personal data. However, we may share data with:
• Service Providers (e.g., hosting providers, analytics services) to maintain
platform functionality.
• Regulatory Authorities when legally required to comply with investigations or
legal requests.
• Other Members where you opt into networking features (e.g., visible profiles,
mentorship programs).
All data shared with third parties is subject to strict confidentiality agreements and
appropriate safeguards.

6. Data storage & Retention
• Your data is stored securely on UK-based and GDPR-compliant servers.
• We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil service
purposes, legal obligations, or legitimate interests.
• Inactive accounts may be deleted after 3 months of inactivity.
• Upon request, we will delete or anonymise your data unless retention is
required by law.

7. Your Rights under UK GDPR
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
• Right to Access – Request a copy of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification – Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’) – Request deletion of your data.
• Right to Restriction – Limit how your data is processed.
• Right to Data Portability – Request data transfer to another service.
• Right to Object – Object to data processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Withdraw Consent – Withdraw consent at any time for optional services.
You can exercise these rights by contacting: [DPO Email Address]

8. Data security mesasures
We implement industry-standard security measures, including:
• Encryption of stored and transmitted data.
• Access controls to restrict unauthorised data access.
• Regular security audits to detect vulnerabilities.

Despite our efforts, no system is 100% secure. Users should take their own
precautions, such as safeguarding passwords.

9. Cookies
WICA uses cookies to enhance user experience. These may include:
• Essential cookies (for platform functionality)
• Analytical cookies (to improve website usability)
• Marketing cookies (optional, for relevant promotions)
You can manage cookie preferences via browser settings. For full details, see our
Cookie Policy (link to document).

10. Updates to this Policy
WICA may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be notified through the
platform or via email. Continued use of WICA indicates acceptance of the updated
policy.

11. Contact & Complaints
For any questions or concerns about data privacy, contact our Data Protection
Officer (DPO): [DPO Email Address]
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with
the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at: https://ico.org.uk/
By using WICA, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this GDPR &
Data Protection Policy