CWJ ANTI-RACISM STATEMENT

Updated: 20/03/22

‘structural racism is encrypted in the very fabric of our society, our history, our institutions and our policies.’ (Runnymede Trust, 2019)

Centre for Women’s Justice is a centre of excellence regarding justice for women and girls who are victims of male violence. We are committed to promoting the rights of all women and to challenging structural systematic discrimination and oppression by and within state agencies. We are likewise committed to challenging all such discrimination within our own organisation and the civil society sectors we belong to – in particular the women’s sector and the legal sector.

We commit to: 

  • Being mindful of terminology:  Language matters. The UK population is made up of many different minoritised communities who experience discrimination and disadvantage in different ways. Homogenous terms and acronyms such as BAME, BME and People of Colour can obscure those differences, further excluding and hiding those communities and the individuals within them. These terms also normalise whiteness and create ‘othering’. We will therefore be specific when discussing particular communities and ensure that we use the preferred terminology of the individual or organisation we are working with.

  • Reviewing our internal practices, procedures and data to ensure that we are transparent, consistent and impartial at all stages of the employment process.

  • Reviewing accessibility and representation on our communications, in particular our website and printed materials.

  • The subject of anti-racism will remain as a standing item on our bi-monthly board meetings for the foreseeable future.

  • Monitoring and addressing systemic issues affecting women from a range of minoritised communities through our strategic work, enquiries and our ongoing relationships with ‘by and for’ women’s services.

  • We will promote and support smaller ‘by and for’ services in our work by further reaching out and building relationships, prioritising those services for our free domestic and sexual abuse advocacy training. Importantly, we will endeavour to listen and learn.

  • Developing a paid internship paralegal programme for women from minoritised backgrounds to assist in diversifying the legal workforce. Where appropriate, and in response to evidence, this may be targeted at specific groups (e.g. Black Caribbean women) and take an intersectional approach (e.g. working class Black Caribbean women.)

  •  Support staff with confidential external supervision. Our Coach and Leadership Consultant specialises in ‘Race and Gender’ and offers a safe and private space for staff.

    Further information for employees on valuing diversity and dignity at work can be found section 4 of the CWJ handbook         

 

We will measure our progress against these commitments regularly and update this policy annually.