The Fawcett Society event, ‘How to Be an Ally – Combating Racism and Misogynoir’, was delivered by guest speakers Naomi and Natalie Evans, sisters and founders of Everyday Racism, and delivered alongside Fawcett Society trustee and former MP, Anum Qaisar. This poignant and informative session focused on misogynoir experienced by Black women, how it manifests within personal and professional lives, education, parenting, and in the workplace, and the importance of continued learning and allyship. Powerful testimonies and discussion points were led by Natalie and Naomi, sparked by their lived experiences of navigating misogynoir within the context of everyday life.
Misogynoir was introduced as a term coined by Moya Bailey in 2008, to describe a particular kind of racism experienced by Black women. It combines misogyny and anti-Black racism to describe the uniqueness of this type of discrimination. Naomi and Natalie highlighted the distinct challenges faced by Black women, which are not always acknowledged by wider feminist movements or spaces. For example, the adultification of Black girls and harmful stereotypes such as ‘the angry Black woman’ or ‘the mammy’ trope. They went on to describe how these compounds result in unequal treatment across various aspects of Black women’s lives, such as in health, education, and employment.
They shared powerful statistics that revealed systemic inequalities within the work environment, ranging from greater pay disparity to higher rates of harassment. For example, their Broken Ladders report, published in 2022 by the Fawcett Society in partnership with the Runnymede Trust, showed that nearly half of Black African women reported being reprimanded for actions that their colleagues were allowed to do without consequence, compared to just 29% of White British women.
The importance of intersectionality in addressing inequality was highlighted through emphasising the distinct impact of factors such as race, gender, and class. It was emphasised that a one-size-fits-all approach was antithetical to the principles of intersectionality. Anum Qaisar added that policies too often lacked nuance and failed to adequately incorporate cultural and individual diversity. She added that racism and misogyny can be experienced differently between cultures and individuals, and these needed to be considered in shaping more equitable systems.
Naomi and Natalie shared their personal experiences of growing up in Margate in the late 1980s and 1990s, an area which is now vastly different. They highlighted the lack of diversity growing up and described the fertile environment for far-right ideology to flourish. They described their experiences of microaggression and racism and the impact of being mixed race, which added a different element to the experiences of misogynoir and the challenges the sisters faced in adapting their lives and behaviour to navigate the world around them.
Their later discussions in adulthood, involving reflections on their shared and individual experiences growing up, revealed the complexities and uniqueness of their respective journeys. They felt there was still a narrative that racism had been solved and thought it would be helpful to create a space for people to come together to share experiences. They championed the importance and power of stories and community, so people could share their everyday experiences and spark conversations from which to bring about change.
The sisters founded their platform Everyday Racism after their own experiences of racism, misogynoir, and witnessing discrimination on public transport and being the only people to offer support amongst the commuters who were predominantly not people of colour. Through their platform, they are now involved in offering training, education, and community events and spaces to address both individual and systemic racism and misogynoir, particularly within schools. This tied in with a key theme for Natalie and Naomi in tackling these inequalities, namely, through recognising that educating children (and parents) about discrimination, diversity, and identity is essential in creating solutions early on.
The discussion around allyship was informative in defining allyship, particularly within the context of misogynoir. The speakers highlighted that it is an ongoing process which would require personal reflection on individual privilege, active listening, and proactively being a part of the solution through offering support, particularly when in settings and rooms without the marginalised person/group, which in the context of this topic was Black women. The discussion addressed allyship at home, school, and work and how small everyday actions can support substantial change. For example, noticing who is heard in group settings (both social and professional), who gets credited for ideas, and who is missing or excluded from decision-making settings.
Overall, this was an illuminating discussion on misogynoir and allyship, led by speakers well-versed in the topic. It was powerful to hear their personal lived experiences and to gain an insight into what effective allyship would look like from their own personal reflections. Topics and terminology that may have been novel to attendees were approached and clarified with care and sensitivity.
Natalie and Naomi emphasised their wish for the following take-home message, that creating inclusive spaces starts in our everyday lives and settings, within homes, schools, and workplaces; and that we all need to reflect on not just inclusivity but also actively changing the workplaces and systems that Black women are entering, and challenging bias. The ideal would be to come together to create equitable spaces going forward, where all voices are respected and valued.
Lourette Latif Philips, PDA NAWP Network President, also attended the event and said, “As pharmacists, continuing education is an integral part of our profession. Understanding and confronting misogynoir requires ongoing education about systems and attitudes that marginalise Black women while also having the courage to challenge harmful norms. At NAWP, we champion a culture of active allyship, a commitment to speaking up and standing beside those whose voices have been ignored, to create a truly equitable profession.”
By Nadira Mehjabin, Co-opted PDA NAWP Network committee member
Get involved
- Follow the PDA NAWP Network on social media using the hashtag #PDAnawp
- For more information about the PDA NAWP Network, click here.
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Learn more
- Everyday Racism resources
- Landmark report reveals 75% of women of colour have experienced racism at work
- Public Harms: Racism and Misogyny in Policing, Education and Mental Health Services
- Equal Play presents Boys Online: Parenting against online misogyny
- Real Housewives of Racist TV Tropes: Black Feminist Reading of Reality TV
- Same Misogyny, Smarter Machines: Incel Ideology, AI, & Dating Apps in DA
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