Inequality facing ethnic minority women in the workplace

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The EOC and the TUC are jointly calling for renewed urgency to deal with the persistent inequality facing ethnic minority women in the workplace. Early findings from the EOC's "Moving on Up?" investigation into ethnic minority women's employment and new statistics on Black women and the labour market published by the TUC for its annual Black Workers Conference demonstrate significant differences in the pay, progression and employment status for women from some ethnic minority groups.

We welcome the government’s commitment to close the gender pay gap and the ethnic minority employment gap. This would work better if the specific circumstances facing women from different ethnic and faith backgrounds are taken into account.

The debate at the TUC Black Workers Conference will be an opportunity for trade unions to discuss specific policy recommendations with those working on the EOC's investigation.

We would like, for example, to see a more joined up approach to race and gender equality in matters such as:

• Procurement as a lever to encourage employers in the private sector to take action to improve ethnic minority women’s pay and progression
• Monitoring
• Use of the Race Relations Amendment Act and the forthcoming gender equality duty to address specific inequalities facing ethnic minority women in the public sector

Specific policy measures to improve ethnic minority women's employment might include:

• Addressing cultural stereotypes about women from different ethnic or faith backgrounds
• Monitoring of the Government’s Childcare Strategy to ensure black women have access to affordable and culturally appropriate childcare
• Improving opportunities for flexible working and taking action to reduce the long hours culture, which are particular issues for black women who are more likely to be lone parents, and for Pakistani and Bangladeshi women who have larger family sizes

The EOC's "Moving on Up?" investigation, supported by the European Social Fund, is collecting further evidence on these issues and will publish a full set of recommendations early in 2007

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