20 | Tees Business
WORDS: JOANNE BARRETT
PICTURES: CHRIS BOOTH
W
ithin just a few moments of
chatting to Yasmin Khan, a few
things become inherently clear.
She wears her drive and her
determination on her sleeve for all to see
and couples those qualities with an expert
knowledge about the field she works
in that is, quite frankly, nothing short of
astounding.
Passionate about her job as a diversity
specialist and director of the Teesside-based
charity Halo Project? Check.
Passionate about living and working in the
Tees Valley? Check.
Passionate about the communities she
serves and the people she helps escape
injustice and live better lives? Double check.
It is a heck of a lot of career for one
person but Yasmin is a heck of a lot of
committed.
As director of Teesside’s black, Asian
and ethnic minority women-run charity
Halo, she set up the pioneering community
partnership back in 2011 to help victims of
abuse including forced marriage and honour-
based violence.
She works with community and business
leaders to develop equality and diversity
programmes and marries all that alongside
a role as national advisor on equality and
diversity to the Welsh Government.
In October, Yasmin will be the
guest speaker at the second Tees
Businesswomen Awards, organised by Tees
Business, aimed at creating more female
business leaders and role models for young
people in our region.
Last year’s inaugural event was a huge
success and saw almost 280 people
attend the ceremony at Wynyard Hall
where Yasmin picked up two awards.
She personally won the Inspiring Others
category and the organisation she founded
won the Charity/Voluntary award.
It has done much to help raise the profile
of the Halo Project, not to mention equality
and diversity issues as a whole.
“It has had a really positive impact,”
says Yasmin. “We have had a lot more
enquiries about the project from people
keen to learn what it is about. It has really
opened us up to the Tees Valley region and
raised the profile of the charity in terms of
understanding what the charity’s purpose is
and really supporting what we do.
“Also with regards to being recognised as
a stakeholder, especially in engaging new
and emerging businesses.
Communicator – Yasmin Khan works with community
and business leaders to develop equality and diversity
programmes and marries all that alongside a role as national
advisor on equality and diversity to the Welsh Government.
“We are a national charity now but our roots will
always be in the North East because of the really
strong relationships we have developed.”
“We are much better connected
in the Tees Valley area, people have a
better understanding and an increased
understanding of the impact on these
women.”
The impact she is referring to is the very
nature of Halo’s work.
The charity provides support to victims
of abuse and specialises in helping women
who are forced into marriage or who suffer
honour based violence as well as helping
victims of the horrific practice of female
genital mutilation.
On-the-ground help and advice provides
a path through what can be a very difficult
and closed environment. Crucially, Halo also
offers training and guidance to agencies and
partnerships across the wider community,
helping to safeguard victims and potential
victims by spreading understanding and
knowledge
The charity is also working to isolate
extremism and engage women who are
already at risk from harm.
A case study highlights just how powerful
the project’s work is. One of Halo’s women
thought her life was over when she was
forced into a marriage. She couldn’t get
involved in anything outside of the home
because her husband’s family were always
there and she would have been at risk of
further harm. Halo meant she met women
like herself - she wasn’t judged and she felt
that she had a voice for the first time in her
life.
It launched in Middlesbrough because
there was, quite simply says Yasmin, a need
for it. The subject area is undoubtedly a
difficult one but spreading knowledge and
best practice is making an impact.
“Things like the Tees Businesswomen
Awards have really opened the door to the
Tees Valley and helped Halo really get the
light that it needed to,” says Yasmin. “Our
profile, both on and offline, has been raised
as a result.
“But really, the award campaign is all
about making a difference. It shows that
women ‘can do’ and shows that ‘can
do’ attitude - that Tees Valley is open for
business to everybody.
“It is all about providing options for
people to show how they can achieve and
reach their potential.”
Inspiring our young people, especially our
young women, whatever their background,
she says is key - no matter how many
barriers you face, you can achieve.
“Halo launched in Middlesbrough,
there were women who were massively
disadvantaged because of the situation they
were in, there was a need for the charity in
Middlesbrough,” says Yasmin.
“We are a national charity now but our
roots will always be in the North-East
because of the really strong relationships
we have developed.”
Interestingly, Yasmin is not a native
Teessider, although after 25 years-plus living
and working in our region, she is just about
as near as you can be.
She originally hails from Essex but moved
to Middlesbrough 25 years ago, got married
and brought up her two children, now
grown up, here. Teesside University was
where she studied for her Masters degree.
She started her career in banking but
quickly moved in to the fields of diversity,
social inequality and injustice working as an
advisor and project manager across various
sectors.
Outside of work, she is just as driven.