According to the latest migration estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), approximately 1.2 million people migrated into the UK while 508,000 people emigrated from it in the year ending June 2023, resulting in a net migration figure of 672,000.
As the country hosts an increasingly diverse population, the UK has made strides in recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion across various sectors, including business, politics, education, healthcare, and government. Organisations have implemented policies to foster inclusivity, such as promoting diversity in hiring and leadership roles, providing training on unconscious bias and cultural competence, and establishing support networks for underrepresented groups.
However, persistent inequalities and discrimination based on factors like race, gender, disability, and others continue to plague society. In a recent report titled 'The Khan Review: Threats to Social Cohesion And Democratic Resilience', Dame Sara Khan DBE, Independent Adviser to the UK Government for Social Cohesion and Resilience, highlighted an escalating climate of threats and harassment. This has led to significant censorship affecting both politicians and the general public.
The review, which included a nationally represented sample of 1,279 respondents aged 16 and above, revealed that 85 per cent perceive freedom-restricting harassment as prevalent in the UK, with 60 per cent believing the issue has worsened over the past five years. The report also argued that the Government lacks a strategic approach to deal with these threats to cohesion. If left unaddressed, these issues not only undermine social cohesion and our ability to live well together as a diverse nation but also pose a risk to our democratic way of life.
The recent legislation of the Rwanda bill and the latest changes made to the immigration bill do not present a better picture of social cohesion in the country. With the rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism, addressing these challenges requires ongoing commitment and collaboration from government, businesses, civil society, and individuals alike.
A closer look at the minority ethnic representation in UK politics
With the proportion of individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK increasing in recent years, their representation in political and public roles has also increased. However, in many cases, their representation in such positions remains lower than the overall population – often significantly.
Following the 2019 General Election, it was estimated that 66 Members of the House of Commons (10%) were from minority ethnic backgrounds. Of these, more than half (37) were women.
In the opinion of Nitish Rai Parwani, Head of the 'Diasporic communities' desk at the International Centre for Sustainability (ICfS), an independent think tank based in the city of London, while the diversity in the British political space is increasing, this rise is disproportionate and non-equitable and the urban-rural divide in diversity aspect is one major indicator to support this claim.
Further explaining his point, he said, “Despite having the first British-Indian Prime Minister of the UK, the pulse of the community is that representation of the British Indians, a community with most of its members taxed at the highest slabs in UK public spaces, is non-proportional to the community's contribution, particularly to the treasury, health sector and IT sector of the UK.
“There also seems to be a disconnect between the community and the policy/legislative space. Consultation is a pivotal instrument in representative democracy, but the British-Indian community is not consulted in proportion to the potential impact of policy on them.”
Nitish believes that the British state and political system should scale up its engagement with the British Indian community by, among other things, making public and political spaces more accessible, and by facilitating interaction of the community members (particularly youth) with the policy space, council offices and legislative chambers.
“This may serve as a tool for consultation and also as electoral awareness of the community and may also encourage the British Indians to actively engage in political space as representatives, advisors and engaged voters”, he said.
Push for transparency and accountability in the workforce
According to Isha Sadiq, a diversity and inclusion consultant at EW Group, diverse communities consist of so many experiences that need to be taken into account when addressing diversity. It's not just about race and gender, it's about the many ways in which people are marginalised.
She said, “The important thing for organisations to recognise and embrace is that these experiences don't happen in silence, and that for there to be a broader and richer understanding of diversity, the experiences and identity of individuals need to be appreciated through an intersectional lens.
“The experiences of Asian women for example are significantly different to that of Asian men, given the entrenched and historic roles that have developed over time. Similarly, a disabled Asian woman is likely to experience additional barriers than a non-disabled Asian woman.”
She highlighted recent strides in diversity and inclusion, noting that many organizations now prioritize these issues. This has led to a surge in commitments, action plans, and revamped recruitment processes. Efforts are underway to amplify the voices of marginalized staff, aiming for greater representation, particularly in leadership roles.
She further voiced out the need for doing more, sharing that, “The recent backlash of diversity and inclusion initiatives also presents challenges whereby organisations are unable to follow through their intended plans due to a fear of being seen as ‘woke’. We must remain awake to the ongoing challenges faced by marginalised communities in the workplace and stay on course to achieve justice and equity for all.”
It is about teaching children what equality looks like
When it comes to the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in society, Parminder Sekhon, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NAZ, a charity focused on tackling sexual health disparities within Black, Brown, and other minority communities worldwide, feels that while many people believe that the goal has been achieved, there is a backlash at the grassroots level.
Parminder explains her observation stating, “In reality, LGBTQ+ rights are moving backwards. A prime example of this is primary and secondary schools becoming hotbeds for agitation and protests from parents who don’t want their children to attend sexual health classes. Suella Braverman very recently urged Rishi Sunak to focus, amongst other things, on ‘this trans ideology in our schools’. This kind of reductive toxic language is dangerous. No one is promoting ideologies; it is about teaching children what equality looks like for everybody. “
Parminder also highlighted that conversion therapy is still not banned despite Conservative assurances and underscores the exclusion of the trans community from potential bans. She stressed the importance of medical practitioners listening to LGBTQ+ experiences for better care and questioned the alarming statistics showing higher risks for minorities, such as black women's childbirth mortality rates and trans individuals' HIV contraction likelihood, urging attention to address these disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.
Amidst the need for improvement, Parminder finds encouragement in positive generational shifts where parents embrace their children's identities. LGBTQ+ youth lead empowered lives, forming families and expressing themselves freely. For continued progress, she stresses the importance of supporting teachers and the education system to educate about diverse lived experiences.
Beneath the iceberg, lie all sorts of polarities
Khushi Thakkar moved from India to the UK seeking a global perspective. Having graduated from the University of Bristol, she is now exploring additional educational prospects. For her, the topic of diversity and inclusion is a debatable one where while she feels that the community is inclusive, their acceptance comes fragmented and with boundaries on a deeper level.
“I have many instances where I felt accepted and safe, most days I do. However, one thing that really made me feel included was my teachers going the extra mile, ensuring they pronounced my name correctly. Also for most of the projects I did, since my stories were rooted in the Indian context, everyone in my university made sure they understood where my ideas were coming from and celebrated them as I implemented my projects.
“For certain festivals, I even dressed traditionally and my cohort celebrated them. My flatmates dressed in Indian clothes to make me feel at home. I believe certain instances like these make you feel you're not a part of the diaspora but a diverse place.”
Pointing out the flip side of the coin, Khushi expressed, “Especially at workplaces, you will find so many people from the West and Middle East doing odd jobs whereas white collar jobs are embraced by the Britons. There is a clear expression of exclamation on people's faces if internationals are in higher positions.”
“These differences are not apparent on the surface level but beneath the iceberg, lie all sorts of polarities. The feeling of being dominated by other cultures is quite visible on the white faces where they do wear a facade of inclusivity but it is surely suffocating from them.
Furthering the conversation about diversity and inclusion, Asian Voice is all set to host the “Be The Change” in association with the Royal Air Force(RAF) on May 13. Such dialogues enable the sharing and comprehension of diverse community issues, fostering potential for positive change. Pre-event coverage, including Panellist and RAF profiles, is featured on pages 16 and 17.
