Women of color feel compelled to change their behavior and, in many cases, their names, due to widespread structural racism in the workplace, according to new research.
Three-quarters of black women have suffered some form of racism at work, while just over a quarter have faced racial insults, according to a major report by the gender equality organization Fawcett Society and the racial equality think tank Runnymede Trust.
The organizations surveyed 2,000 women of black and Asian descent and more than 1,000 white women across the UK, highlighting the problem of work culture.
Most women of color felt they needed to hide their identity at work in some way, with more than 60% modifying their language, hairstyle, clothing, or diet to fit.
More than half of black Muslim and African women said they had changed their clothes to work, while a quarter of those of Indian descent said they had changed their name.
The survey also found persistent barriers to career advancement, with more than half of women of color reporting discrimination in the application or interview process and 42% saying they were ignored for promotion. .
“Women of color face a double danger,” said Halima Begum, executive director of the Runnymede Trust. “From school to the workplace, there are structural barriers between them and the opportunities they deserve.
“They know first hand the myth of meritocracy, from the mental gymnastics of constant code change to being repeatedly rejected for promotion.”
About a third of respondents of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian origin said that a manager had actively blocked his progression to work. This compares to 20% of British white women.
The report calls on the government to force companies with more than 50 employees to publish data on the ethnicity gap, which it has resisted, which has led to accusations of lack of “will or care” to create a more just and egalitarian society.
In 2018, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy launched a consultation stating: “The government believes it is time to move on to the mandatory declaration of ethnicity payments.”
The consultation closed in January 2019, but the government has not yet published a response.
The report also calls on all employers to implement anti-racism plans, including the publication of salaries in all job advertisements, and to stop asking candidates for their previous salaries.
Jemima Olchawksi, the executive director of the Fawcett Society, said women of color were detained and forced to hide their identities.
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“What a waste of time and energy for these women,” she said. “We need jobs that respect and celebrate everyone’s individuality and allow women to focus on incorporating their talents into the workforce. Given the shortage of skills and manpower, this is a potential waste we can’t afford. “
In response, Caroline Nokes, the Conservative chair of the Women and Equality Committee, called for “positive government action.”
“It’s really shocking when you feel that women feel compelled to change their name just to keep working and when you hear the level of racist abuse that still exists in the workplace,” she said.
“It requires positive action by the government. It is not enough to say that we are creating more opportunities for everyone. We need to target these opportunities to make sure that the increase in level is not just about geography or from the north and the south “.
A government spokesman said: “Our inclusive UK action plan sets out plans to build a fairer and more inclusive society, including the promotion of workplace equity and action to address the gap. salary of the ethnic group “.