Health, schools and offices given anti-racist aims in Welsh government plans

Saadia says she has experienced racist abuse on the street

A new plan to get rid of racism from hospitals, schools and other workplaces has been published by the Welsh government.

The plan aims to make Wales an anti-racist country by 2030.

Minister Jane Hutt said it wasn't "just an exercise in saying the right things, this is a call to action".

Conservatives said the government's "inability to tackle what they call 'systemic racism' is a direct failure on their part".

The Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan will initially focus on "surfacing and tackling institutional and systemic racism" within government by 2024.

After two years, its impact will be assessed and new goals and actions will be set.

The plan has been drawn up by a group co-chaired by Cardiff University's Prof Emmanuel Ogbonna and Andrew Goodall, permanent secretary to the Welsh government.

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It focuses on specific areas of people's experience of racism.

It includes experiences of everyday racism while taking the bus with people being subjected to Islamaphobic comments, racist bullying at school or teachers unwilling to learn pupils' first names then shortening names without consent.

It also looks at health care, including one woman's experience of being told by a nurse not to worry about her baby's breathing difficulties as he was "a lovely colour", when he did turn out to have serious issues.

Prof Uzo Iwobi of Race Council Cymru, says the Welsh government proposal is unprecedented and historic

The Welsh government's initial targets include:

• Introducing a performance goal linked to anti-racism for leaders

• Reverse mentoring and anti-racism training so leaders improve their understanding of racism

• Employers to improve their understanding and knowledge of the Equality Act and the Positive Action section within it so they can recruit more people from ethnic minority backgrounds to make up 20% of the workforce at all levels of government

• Resource and support the existing ethnic minority staff networks

"We are at the cusp of a historic document being published," Uzo Iwobi, the founder and chief executive of Race Council Cymru told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Tuesday.

"We feel that for the first time, we are looking at the lived experiences of ethnic minority communities," she said.

"It is unprecedented.

"It seeks to tackle to root causes of racism, to look at actually: how do we lead people? How do we manage people? How do we work with others to deliver a fairer, more authentic and inclusive public service?"

'People swore at me'

Saadia Abubaker, 20, from Swansea has had input to the plan as a community mentor gathering and representing the views of young people in different policy areas.

She described racism at school and suffering abuse in the street, and said many young people had similar experiences.

"People swore at me and put the word black in front of it," she said, recalling her childhood experiences.

"Teachers would not pronounce my name and would often shorten it."

"Outside education, when I've been to the beach and park in Swansea, people have shouted racial abuse at me."

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The plan is needed but the outcomes must be carefully monitored over the coming years to make sure change occurs, according to Maria Constanza Mesa, the director of Women Connect First in Cardiff.

"BAME [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] communities suffer from lots of discrimination inside and outside our communities in all areas of life," Ms Mesa said.

"In work, health and education. We are more likely to die in pregnancy and giving birth. The pay gap between white and BAME women is huge."

'Specific goals'

Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt added: "We're determined to ensure that this isn't just an exercise in saying the right things, this plan is a call to action, a plan to truly deliver for people from ethnic minorities.

"That's why we have specific goals, aims and objectives, ranging from internal Welsh government practices, to our ambitious policy changes across departments too.

"The actions set out in the plan will help promote a fairer employment market, a fairer education and training system, an equalising of racial opportunities and outcomes in health "

In response, the Welsh Conservative Equalities spokesperson in the Senedd, Altaf Hussein MS said the Welsh Labour government has had 23 years to deal with racism and "their inability to tackle what they call 'systemic racism' is a direct failure on their part".

He added: "Welsh Conservatives are committed to fighting against racism and discrimination.

"A person's background should be no barrier to success, and we are proud to have the first ever female ethnic minority Member of the Senedd."

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