Race Equality Panel


Race Equality Panel

About Greater Manchester’s equality panels

The Greater Manchester Equality Panels have been established to advise, support and challenge Greater Manchester’s political leaders and policy-makers to tackle the discrimination and disadvantage that cause injustice and inequality in society, and champion Greater Manchester as an inclusive city-region. They do this by working together with the GMCA and partners to:

  • Provide insight into Greater Manchester’s diverse communities, enabling political leaders and public bodies to listen and engage in a more targeted and effective way
  • Communicate key messages to our communities as trusted sources
  • Codesign policies, programmes and strategies to ensure they work effectively for communities
  • Support an asset-based approach, highlighting new opportunities (and challenges) for positive collaboration that build on the resources and strengths within our communities

The Race Equality Panel is one of seven equality panels established and funded by the GMCA. Other equality panels include:

Aims of the Race Equality Panel

Greater Manchester’s Race Equality Panel was established in December 2020. The Panel work to promote racial equality, tackle racial discrimination and foster positive relationships between ethnically diverse communities, and embed the Public Sector Equality Duty in polices, processes, procedures, practices and people development. The aims and objectives of the Panel are to:

  • Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation (and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty)
    • Public agencies tackle all forms of racism and discrimination within their organisation and the structure they contribute to. Priority area:
      • Discrimination in policing and criminal justice
    • Public sector bodies are proactive in their approaches to meet their Public Sector Equality Duty
  • Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
    • Hate crime and community cohesion
    • Health and wellbeing inequality
    • Employment and labour market inequalities
    • Educational inequalities and achievement
    • The Greater Manchester Strategy tackles inequality and increases equity for ethnic communities. Priority areas:
    • The diversity of the public service workforce, including volunteers and senior leadership, is increased. Priority area:
      • Diversity in leadership, especially in the public sector and political systems
    • Positive role models, particularly in leadership positions, public services, civic society and with the business community are promoted
  • Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
    • Greater Manchester’s cultural heritage and history of community inclusion and social justice is championed

The priorities for the Panel have been identified by residents through a series of listening exercises that took place in 2020. The priorities are:

  • Educational inequalities and achievement, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM)
  • Employment and labour market inequalities
  • Financial inclusion and poverty
  • Hate crime and preventing discrimination
  • Health and wellbeing inequality
  • Housing and homelessness, including hidden homelessness
  • Discrimination in policing and criminal justice
  • Ethnic diversity in leadership, especially in the public sector and political systems

Furthermore, it is felt that all issues are the consequences of structural racism, and this is a focus for the Panel throughout its work. 

Race Equality Evidence Base

Reports by Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) and GMCA Research Team provide a comprehensive understanding of the current issues facing racially minoritised communities in Greater Manchester. The GMCA report uses the Greater Manchester Strategy (GMS) as its framework – assessing each of the indicators it contains to identify which can be disaggregated by ethnicity. It aims to draw out the key issues for racially minoritised communities across Greater Manchester. The Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) at University of Manchester highlights the broader issues relevant to race equality across the themes of education, employment, health and criminal justice.

Thematic groups

The Race Equality Panel also has several thematic groups that tackle specific pieces of work, these include:

  • Criminal justice
  • Education
  • Employment, training and leadership
  • Health and wellbeing

They also consider cross-cutting themes of:

  • Housing and homelessness
  • Young people

Panel members

Secondary headteacher of a large, diverse school in Rochdale; and has worked in education across Manchester and Salford secondary schools since 1998.

Qualified psychotherapist, works with women fleeing domestic abuse, with homeless people; and encourages and mentors women from ethnic minority women to engage in healthy eating and in improving their lives.

Lawyer committed to equality and making faith a force for good.

Champion for addressing health inequities and the wider determinants to improve health.

Equalities warrior, trainer and public speaker in race equality and diversity, specialising in people’s experiences in work as well as society; 25 years’ employment law experience in trade unions; specialist in women sexual violence; personal performance coach; child and youth work manager.

Social psychologist, skilled expert in diversity and integration; lifelong campaigner for equal access to public services for all.

Led awareness raising of the Bosnian genocide across the region; and a 35 year career and experience in healthcare, education, welfare and a strong involvement in interfaith dialogue.

Worked within the domestic abuse field for over 20 years; passionate about raising awareness of the causes and consequences of violence against women from ethnic minority backgrounds, working to change the attitudes and behaviours that tolerate and perpetuate violence and gender inequality.

Passionate about empowering communities and individuals by focusing on their assets and achievements.

Senior lecturer in clinical psychology and has experience working in mental health services in the NHS.

PhD candidate and activist; research and activism centres around youth experiences of violence and trauma, racial literacy, anti-racist education and LGBTQ people of colour’s experiences.

Born in Iraq/Baghdad, lived in Manchester for over 35 years, liaising with other communities to promote better understanding and contribute to the tackling of discrimination and prejudice

Everyday changemaker, inspirational motivator educating services and communities about equality and cultural issues, helping people to develop a conscious mind about equality and its impact, and creating platforms that create opportunities within the Black community.

Worked in youth and community work for various organisations across Manchester over the last 12 years, incredibly passionate about creating opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and using sport to drive social change.

Senior workforce and organisational development and Inclusion professional in the health and care sector. Originally from West Bengal, India, passionate about intersectionality and understanding how multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves and create obstacles that are not clearly understood.

Community leader, academician and entrepreneur who is passionate about making a contribution to society to make people realise their full potential and live a positive harmonious life.

Background in teaching over a 20-year period, in post-16 education, special educational needs and with disadvantaged groups, lifelong learning, and as an equality and diversity consultant.

Youth worker with 10 years’ experience, with a passion for grassroots community work, supporting and promoting community consultations to drive policy development and implementation, ensuring that lived experiences are valued and central in decision making, delivery and evaluation processes.

Middle Eastern immigrant, raised and educated in Manchester since the age of three months old; working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds; committed trade unionist.

IT professional and member of the Sikh community in Manchester for more than 30 years.

Chief executive of Wai Yin, which supports the Chinese and South East-Asian community.

Academic researcher from a minority ethnic background, with expertise specifically within the fields of the sociology of ‘race’ and ethnicity and health and wellbeing inequalities.

Contact the Race Equality Panel

The Race Equality Panel is facilitated by the Caribbean and African Health Network. To get in touch with them, please email: gmracepanel@cahn.org.uk

Follow the Race Equality Panel on Twitter

Key Documents

New Race Equality Panel meets for the first time (news article)

Developing a Race Equality Panel for Greater Manchester - We Asked, You Said, We Did

Race Equality Panel - Six Month Report June 2021 (PDF, 85KB)

GM Race Equality Panel - Action Plan 2022 (PDF, 236Kb)

Race Equality Panel Terms of Reference November 2021.pdf

GM Race Equality Panel Annual Report 2012-22 (.Docx, 193Kb)

Greater Manchester Strategy: Ethnicity Evidence Baseline June 2022 (Word, 444KB)

Race Equality in GM July 2022 CoDE.pdf