Employment Experiences of Sikh Women in West Yorkshire

1
Employment Experiences of Sikh Women in West
Yorkshire

• A Report Commissioned by
• Bradford Educational and Cultural Association of
  Sikhs (BECAS)
• Funded by B-Equal and the ESF

2
Why is Research Needed on Equality in Employment?

• Taking action to promote equality in employment
  is not just a matter of moral fairness to people
  from minority ethnic groups. It is good sound
  common sense, and it makes good business sense
  too.
  (1993 Secretary of
  State for Health)
• 12 years later, inequality in employment is still
  rife, especially for invisible minorities

3
Who are Invisible Minorities?

• People who share ethnic, linguistic, and/or
  religious characteristics
• People who may not be numerical minorities
• People that are not dominant members of the
  community, in either number and/or voice
• People that are often overlooked by existing
  service providers and researchers

4
Sikhs in West Yorkshire

• Sikhs are a numerical minority
• Sikhs in managerial positions
• Young, educated Sikhs in employment
• Sikh Women in Employment

5
Sikh Women in Employment

• Research is a microcosm of the experiences of
  Sikh women in the district.
• Demographics
• First opportunity many of the women have had to
  discuss their employment experiences.
• Further research needed on this and other
  religious minorities.

6
Women and Education

• 13 of the interviewees in the 45 and over age
  group have no qualifications.
• All of these except 1 born in India.
• Employed in unskilled sector
• Interviewees from Kenya most likely to take
  further education

• Sikhs are the second most likely religious group
  to have no qualifications.
• (ONS, 2004)

7
Education of Sikh Women Under 45 years old

• All women born outside India had qualifications

• The younger the interviewee the more likely it is
  that they have qualifications

8
Educating the Family and the Community

• 90 of interviewees aged 39 years or under say
  their parents wishes are a consideration in
  careers
• Families are increasingly realising the
  importance of education, and encouraging
  daughters
• BUT
• The value of post-A Level qualifications and
  industry-specific courses, needs to be
  highlighted
• Families need to be educated on the career
  advantages of attending a good university
• Scientific degrees are still held in higher
  regard that Arts degrees

9
Marriage and Career

• Increasingly fewer families expect their
  daughters to leave school early in order to get
  married
• The community now expects daughters to have a
  good education and be financially independent
  before marriage
• It is not uncommon for young married women to
  continue working after having children
• Interviewees felt their families enforced no
  cultural or religious barriers to their employment

10
Family and Career Progression

• 6 of the interviewees were were told to stop
  working outside the home soon after marriage or
  children
• These interviewees were all over the age of 45
• This had led to a loss of confidence in their
  abilities
• Although 35 of the interviewees in this age
  group had received promotion, only 20 took
  active action

11
Family and Career Progression

• Mothers of all ages felt having children had
  hindered their career progression
• 4 of the interviewees who were working
  part-time, felt childcare issues hindered their
  career progression
• Promotions were given to women with lesser
  experience without children
• Interviewees were unaware of the Part-time
  Workers Regulations 2000

12
Training Issues

• Annual training in social and health sectors
• Outside this sector, 29 struggled to obtain
  training
• Sikh women are often overlooked in
  community-based training projects
• Some minorities get everything, but others dont
  know how to ask
• Without training, how can I get a promotion?
• Job-seekers were unaware of how to attain
  training

13
Training Issues

• Requests for confidence training
• Request for Computer training and
  Anti-Discrimination Training
• Women aged 45 felt they were too old for
  training

14
Race and Religious Issues

• Discrimination still prevalent
• Implementation of Laws is poor Race Relations
  Act, Employment Equality (Religion or Belief)
  Regulations 2003
• Equal opportunities forms and methods need to be
  improved and properly implemented

15
Categorisation by Religion

• Religion needs to be widely used on Equal
  Opportunities forms
• Religion is an important category, not because
  of political correctness, but rather to
  understand peoples needs (Phil Prosser, RAF)
• Labour Force Survey Sikh women most likely to
  work in manufacturing, 1in 6.
• Mistaken belief that Sikhs are over-achieving
  lead to lack of provisions
• 65 of interviewees would prefer to be asked
  their religion on Equal Opportunities forms

16
Religious Ignorance in Employment

• Post 9/11, issues of religion have been
  highlighted
• People want their own, full identities to be
  acknowledged
• 90 of interviewees feel they belong to an
  invisible minority
• Supervisors and colleagues ignorance is
  widespread
• Appendix A is an example of how to combat this

17
Racial Discrimination
¼ of the Group have suffered Racial Discrimination

• The Public Sector
• 78 of the occurrences
• White Mens Club
• Could not accept BMEs above a certain level
• Assimilation rather than accept differences
• Led to loss of confidence

• The Private Sector
• Less commonplace, but occurs without reprisals
• Those born outside UK, suffer more
• Discrimination is hidden by declarations of
  Equal Opportunities Employer

18
Racial Discrimination

• Application procedure is open to discrimination
• 85 of interviewees did not know their rights or
  how to seek help in such circumstances
• Possible solution invite race law experts into
  places of worship
• Employers response to questionnaires about equal
  opportunities was poor

19
Conclusions

• Further Research
• Various religious minorities, who are not
  normally the subject of regional research.
• Educated Sikh men with turbans and beards.
• Sikh women in the public sector in West
  Yorkshire.
• Sikh women in the private sector in West
  Yorkshire.
• Educated Sikh women who have arrived from India.
• Educational expectations of Sikh
  children/students by schools and universities.

20
Conclusions

• Training Requested
• Confidence training.
• Awareness raising of laws which offer protection
  against discrimination, be it racial, religious,
  due to part-time employment.
• Equal opportunities and diversity training, which
  could take place at places of worship and so be
  accessible to this group.
• Courses for employers regarding their obligations
  in terms of equal opportunities, diversity and
  the laws in these fields.
• Religious awareness training for employers.

21
Conclusions

• Promotion Difficulties
• Racial discrimination
• The white mens club which needs to be
  eradicated
• General Findings
• Independent grievance procedures are needed in
  both the public and private sector, the
  procedures of which are acknowledged by
  employees.
• Employers in the region need to take equal
  opportunities more seriously, not because the law
  requires this, but rather due to a willingness to
  celebrate diversity and be inclusive.
• Religious awareness is poor of religions which
  are smaller in numbers in the region.