Lesbian and trans BAME women face more racism

BAME women who are lesbian or transgender are more likely to experience racism at work than their cisgender heterosexual colleagues, according to research from international equality organisation Catalyst.

The survey of 2,734 BAME women in Australia, Canada, South Africa, USA and the UK found that overall more than half (51%) have experienced racism at work. That figure rose to around two-thirds for lesbian women (63%) and trans women (67%), compared to 49% for heterosexual women.

The research also found women with darker skin tones and certain hair texture were more likely to experience racism in the workplace. These are “two aspects of identity that do not receive much attention”, according to report author Kathrina Robotham.

The women surveyed shared experiences of racism at work, while a quarter said they feared senior leaders would discriminate based on ethnicity, race or culture.

The figures “point to a large disconnect between what leaders say they want to do and the reality that racism is still pervasive in workplaces internationally”, according to the report.

“What’s worse, the links between the multiple oppressions that women from marginalised racial and ethnic groups experience at work are often ignored and go unaddressed.”