As part of our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), we are, once again, taking part in Race Equality Week. Running from Monday 3 to Sunday 9 February, this year’s theme is #EveryActionCounts.
What is Race Equality Week?
Run by Race Equality Matters, a UK-based organisation, Race Equality Week is an annual national campaign for change which unites organisations across the UK to address barriers to race equality in the workforce. For an introduction to Race Equality Week, please watch this video. Alternatively, you can read about it on the Race Equality Matters website.
Why is Race Equality Week important?
Race Equality Matters has produced statistics which state that:
- only 40% of its community believe their organisation focuses on action, change and impact, and not just words
- 26% believe that less than a quarter of allies are actually helping to tackle race inequality
- 64% said their senior leaders and managers are committed to tackling race inequality, but only 46% said their senior leaders and managers are making an impact in tackling race inequality
Race Equality Matters considers that not only words but taking action, whether big or small, is important and they hope that in doing so, it will lead to real change.
The 5-Day Challenge
Created for Race Equality Week, the 5-Day Challenge involves completing five one-minute actions over the course of five days:
- Day 1 Intersectionality: understanding what makes us all unique – intersectionality is a way to understand that everyone has many different parts to their identity like race, gender, sexuality, and class which make each person unique
- Day 2: Recognising Privilege and using it as a force for good
- Day 3: Inclusive Language – discovering the effect of language on others and find ways to use more inclusive language
- Day 4: Code Switching – understanding how masking or code switching (where an individual has felt they had to change the way they speak or act to fit in) impacts an individual’s wellbeing
- Day 5: The Big Promise – a pledge to take action against racial inequality
What we are doing at the NHSCFA
- Participating in the 5-Day Challenge
- Reading the materials on the Race Equality Matters Website to learn more about how we can improve our learning and behaviour
- Encouraging colleagues to provide feedback privately and confidentially to our EDI group and about their experiences
We’d encourage everyone to take part in Race Equality Week and remember, even beyond 9 February, that #EveryActionCounts.