Ethnic Minority Women and Employment

[sheherazade]

Ethnic minority women face employment barriers

 

Women from ethnic minorities are facing a huge struggle to find work and are much more likely than white women to take a job for which they are overqualified, a report showed today.

Research by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has revealed that Pakistani and Bangladeshi women aged under 35 are between three and four times more likely to be unemployed than their white counterparts, while black Caribbean females are twice as likely to be out of work.

 

For graduates the figures are worse - young Pakistani and Bangladeshi women who had been to university were five times more likely to still be looking for a job than white women with degrees, and black Caribbean women three times more likely to be unemployed.

In July, the government said that Muslim graduates were struggling to find work, with only 76% of those in working age in jobs, compared with 87% of all graduates. The EOC estimates that 90% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are Muslims.

 

Today's report showed that ethnic minority women who find work are almost four times more likely to end up in a position at a lower level than the one they are qualified for.

 

The EOC suggested the results were down to higher levels of sex discrimination against these candidates, as well as attitudes towards religious dress.

 

Asking a potential employee at a job interview about their plans for marriage and children is a violation of the sex discrimination act, yet employers were found to be still asking these questions and were three times as likely to do so when interviewing a woman from an ethnic minority than when interviewing a white woman.

 

The findings have prompted the EOC to launch an investigation into the barriers faced by ethnic minority women, with the aim of making concrete recommendations for change.

 

"Young ethnic minority women are ambitious and keen to progress at work," said Jenny Watson, acting chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission. "Yet these findings indicate they are often working below their skill level or are unemployed when they have much to offer.

 

"No one's ambitions should be dashed in this way, and Britain's businesses are missing out on a pool of talent that could help them stay competitive.

 

"If we are truly to be a society where everyone has the same opportunities, the barriers preventing ethnic minority women from progressing in employment - such as outdated assumptions about their role in family life or attitudes to religious dress - must be overcome."

 

The EOC's investigation was welcomed by the Commission for Racial Equality.

 

"We have known for some time that whatever class you belong to, your race is an obstacle all by itself," said Trevor Philips, its chair.

 

"Race's impact on people's life chances is not reducing with time. The situation for Pakistani and Bangladeshi men is echoed by the experiences of women graduates from these groups."

 

He added: "We need to ensure that women from ethnic minority backgrounds are not held back from reaching their full potential and forced into applying for jobs at the lower ranks."

 

Margaret Hodge, minister for employment and welfare reform, who also chairs the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, also backed the announcement.

 

"In order to address the disparity in ethnic minority employment levels, we must address the fact that many more ethnic minority women stand outside the labour market - ambitious and talented women, as the EOC's new research shows," she said.

 

"Finding solutions to bring these women into the workplace and helping them achieve their goals will go a good way towards helping government achieve its goals."

 

Labour has pledged to close the ethnic minority employment gap by 2013 and the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force has been charged with bringing together government departments to achieve this aim.

 

According to a report published earlier this year by the Fawcett Society, once in work, ethnic minority women as a group are paid more than white female employees, but not all minorities are better off.

 

The society's figures include Chinese women, alongside the groups spotlighted in the EOC report, and show that they earn an average hourly wage of £9.42, compared to £7.50.

 

Black women also earned more, taking home an average of £7.78 an hour, but Pakistani and Bangladeshi women were worse off, earning an average hourly wage of £6.84 and £6.33 respectively.

 

The EOC is asking for testimonies from ethnic minority women workers. For details click here

 

source

[Qandalawi]

^^Very sad results runti

 

But where do you Somali woman fit in this statistics? Being Female Muslim and Black as well, you can't get better combination than that, don't you think?

 

So shehe, are you out of work? you don't have answer as it a personal matter.

[Caano Geel]

shehehehe it is depressing sis, gimme a few and i'll give you a job

 

Tukaale, on this scale qaxooti somali women are just behind the bild one legged donkeys

[Valenteenah.]

Yeah, there's a real problem with both sex and religious discrimination. I experienced it myself. If ur forename/surname is distinctly Muslim, you'll have a major problem even getting an interview for a job that you're probably over-qualified for.

 

It's the same problem even if you apply to organisations/local authorities with large BME employees. Purely for example, if you were to apply to Tower Hamlets council...your chances of getting the job will be very high if you're Bengali. :rolleyes:

 

Job-hunting is a filthy business.

[sheherazade]

CG, give u a few what? Get specific, no room for ambiguity in my life unless I'm creating it.

 

Ahura, take the effers to court. I am. Loving it, loving it, loving it. Like that annoying song. Now I can't get it out of my head. And they won't be able to get me out of their's. Loving it, loving it, loving it.

 

Just had a phone call from someone who's being deliberately obtuse. I am going to have to break it down for her in writing, I might draw pictures too. Lucky b*tch.

 

Venom, I know. More heart-warming info...

 

Five Live survey suggests ethnic minority applicants still discriminated against in UK job market

 

Racial discrimination is still a widespread experience for job applicants, a study by BBC Radio Five Live suggests.

 

 

The full results of the survey will be broadcast on Five Live from 6.00am, Monday 12 July (909 & 693 AM, digital and online).

 

 

Five Live mounted an undercover survey lasting ten months in which dummy CVs were sent out to a wide range of companies in response to recruitment advertisements.

 

 

 

For each vacancy, six applications were sent - one male and one female from each of three groups: White European, Asian Muslim and Black African.

 

 

Fifty companies looking for employees in a variety of fields were selected at random from newspaper situations vacant columns and recruitment websites.

 

 

Five Live produced CVs for six fictional candidates – Abu Olasemi, Fatima Khan, Jenny Hughes, John Andrews, Nasser Hanif and Yinka Olatande.

 

 

All the fictitious applicants were the same standard in terms of qualifications and experience but were written and presented differently to increase their authenticity to recruiters.

 

 

But while 23 per cent of the white candidates' applications were invited for interview, only 13 and 9 per cent respectively were successful from the Black African and Muslim candidates.

 

 

Background & methodology

 

 

The research was inspired by a story covered on Five Live's Up All Night programme which examined American research suggesting candidates with traditionally 'white' names received interview offers twice as often as those with traditionally 'black' names.

 

 

Five Live adapted the study to find out what the situation was in the UK, also introducing an Islamic dimension.

 

 

Fifty advertisements from newspapers and recruitment websites were selected with each company sent six CVs - two with Muslim names, two with Black African names and two with White European names.

 

 

Each advertisement was responded to with one male and one female applicant.

 

 

The station sought advice from personnel experts on what employers look for in CVs and covering letters, and ensured consistent standards in all the applications.

 

Additionally a wide range of careers, levels of seniority and geographical locations were chosen to try to present a national picture.

 

Candidates invited for interview did not attend.

 

source

[Katrina]

Subhan'allah, that is truly unfair.

 

Forgive me, I have an ignorant question to ask? Has it always been that bad for women of color in the UK and 9/11 only amplified it? Or did all this under-the-table discrimination take root after 9/11?

 

I wonder what the stats would be for the US?

[sheherazade]

My dear we now have our very own 7/11(an Americanism that irritates me no end). It was always bad, now it's worse than bad.

[Caano Geel]

shehehehehe, i think i like it when you get mad, its all so filthy!

[sheherazade]

^boy, u're too easily pleased. I like the way u almost sneeze my name.

 

Sneeze my name, sneeze my name...

 

Love bast*rdising song lyrics.

[sheherazade]

And in a lucid moment I say:

 

The Equal Opportunities Commission has launched an investigation. Quote:

 

"Moving on up? Ethnic minority women at work", to get behind these shocking statistics, understand the barriers and obstacles facing ethnic minority women in the workplace and make concrete recommendations for change. It will include the particular barriers experienced by Muslim women wishing to find paid employment.

 

and:

 

The EOC findings suggest higher rates of sex discrimination and attitudes towards religious dress may be partly to blame. The ethnic minority women surveyed were three times more likely than white women to be asked at job interviews about their plans for marriage and children -- a violation of the Sex Discrimination Act[iii]. And one in five Pakistani and Bangladeshi women, over 90% of whom are Muslim, said they had experienced negative attitudes towards religious dress at work.

 

Here are some women's experiences:

read me, u know u want to

 

U can also tell them your story if u're female and fed up(sorry boys):

your story

 

ethnic minority women and the eoc

[Valenteenah.]

Same stories everywhere, eh? Black Muslim female, three strikes. You have to fight for every little shitty concession.

 

 

Ahura, take the effers to court. I am.

Purely anecdotal, no hard evidence. Who are you suing and whatfor?

[sheherazade]

Discrimination, racial and religious. I didn't think I had a chance(it's still going to be difficult) but I started reading up on the law and making a few calls out of curiosity and the need for revenge(gotta be honest) and found that my case wasn't that hopeless.

 

Ther is currently no organisation to help or give advice on religious discrimintaion- yet. There are others for racial: cre and eoc for sexual discrimination.

 

There is something called a race relations questionnaire that u have a right to send to an employer(or potential employer) that u feel may have discriminated agaianst you. Here are some examples:

 

examples

 

An employer does not have to fill that form or answer those questions but if u do take them to a tribunal u can still ask all those questions and their failure to have responded to the tribunal in writing(to answer the qs) before the hearing may work against them.

 

You have 3 months after the last incident in which to make a claim at a tribunal. Until last year, u could go straight to a tribunal without making an effort to sort the problem out with your employer through a grievance procedure. Now u have to go through a grievance procedure and then if u're still unhappy, take it to a tribunal. It can be extended to 6 months instead of 3 if the employer drags their feet with the procedure. If u were only at the interview stage for instance, and never an employee, u can go to the tribunal straightaway as a grievance procedure only covers employees- but still within 3 months of incident.

 

U can also force witnesses to attend.

 

If in doubt call the CRE and ask for the legal advice department; they're on call on certain days during the mornings.

 

Call anyway.

 

Sexual discrimination is easier somewhat, the onus is on the employer to prove that it didn't happen. So if u suspect both, apply on the grounds of both and focus on the sexual discrimination- they've got to do more work then to disprove it. Make the bugg*rs suffer.

 

Phew. Follow the links. I could go on and on..should have been a lawyer.

[Castro]

^ Could still be a lawyer. Even I am thinking about it now.

[sheherazade]

^I could. Looked into it. Again. The thought recurs every 5 years. What would u specialise in?

 

There's an organisation called ACAS, blurb:

 

ACAS is an organisation devoted to preventing and resolving employment disputes.

 

If u'd rather deal with the matter without going to tribunal(or while u wait for the date), these people can hold your hand through the process.

 

They'll probably get in touch with me but I don't want hand-holding and sure as hell don't want to settle ouf of court. But for those who want the support, the go-between, they're the experts. And they're free.

 

acas and resolving disputes

[Castro]

^ Probably civil liberties/rights (if I do bother to get the degree). I see myself working for the ACLU one day. In some capacity or the other. I'd also do divorce law on the side to pay the bills.