Minority Ethnic Women
Economic inactivity rates of women: by ethnic group, 2004 Great Britain
FACTS 15
Minority Ethnic Women
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic( BAME) Women in the UK A few facts
There are 2.3 million Black and Minority Ethnic women( BAME) in the UK, making up 7.9 % of the UK female population and 13 % of the female population in England.
Office of National Statistics 2003. Census 2001( a): Commentary: Ethnicity and religion in England and Wales. Acc www. statistics. gov. uk / census2001 / profiles / commentaries / ethnicity. asp.
By 2021, BAME groups are expected to make up 35 % of the adult female population of London. Mayor of London: Women in London 2006 Report, March 2006
Black, Asian and minority ethnic women currently account for 27 % of all working women in London. Mayor of London: Women in London 2006 Report, March 2006
42 % of nurses and 54 % of nursing assistants and auxiliaries in London are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.
Over one third of women are from black and minority ethnic groups
Representation of women amongst councillors is higher in London than in England as a whole, at 31 %, compared to 29 %. 14 % of councillors in London are black and minority ethnic compared with under 4 % in England as a whole.
National census of local authority councillors in England 2004, Employers’ Organisation for local government
In 1991, 8.2 % of BME working women were self-employed, as opposed to 6.8 % for all white working women. Owen( 1995)
There are only two female ethnic minority MPs Fawcett: Black and Minority Ethnic Women in the UK. February 2005,
In London, over one third of women from black and minority ethnic groups are in lower paid occupations such as sales and customer services, and this is reflected in lower average earnings than white women.
Mayor of London: Women in London 2006 Report, March 2006
27 % of women in the general population reported being smokers compared with 33 % of Irish women, 25 % of Black Caribbean women, 9 % of Chinese women, 6 % of Indian women, 5 % of Pakistani women and 1 % of Bangladeshi women.
1999 Health Survey for England, the 2001 census
Bangladeshi Pakistani Chinese
Black African Mixed Indian
Black Caribbean White British
White Irish www. lg-employers. gov. uk Source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics
There are no ethnic minority women police chief constables and there are no ethnic minority women judges in the House of Lords or Court of Appeal. Fawcett: Black and Minority Ethnic Women in the UK. February 2005,
A woman victim of domestic violence has on average 11 contacts with agencies before getting the help she needs- this rises to 17 if she is black. Fawcett: Black and Minority Ethnic Women in the UK. February 2005,
Employment rates vary enormously amongst women from different ethnic groups, being higher among Black Caribbean, Black African, Indian and white women and lower among Pakistani and Bangladeshi women.( see chart)
Economic inactivity rates of women: by ethnic group, 2004 Great Britain
ISSUE TWO 2006 engage