Black And Ethnic Minority Women At Work

EDM number 285 in 2006-07, proposed by Julie Morgan on 23/11/2006.

That this House welcomes the Equal Opportunities Commission's investigation into the pay and progression of black and ethnic minority women in employment; notes with alarm the findings that Pakistani women face a pay gap of at least 10 per cent. higher than that of white British women, further notes the waste of talent represented by the fact that young Pakistani women with a degree are at least four times more likely to be unemployed than white British women with a degree, while Bangladeshi and black Caribbean women with degrees are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than white British women despite having similar amibitions and aspirations to white women; is very concerned by this huge loss of potential; notes the Department for Work and Pensions' Public Service Agreement target to narrow the gap between the ethnic minority employment rate and the overall employment rate; also notes the overall Government target that by 2013 no one should be disadvantaged in their employment prospects because of their ethnicity; recognises that addressing the specific needs of black and ethnic minority women would help to close the employment gap and achieve this aim; and urges the Goverment to seize the opportunity in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 to tackle the specific barriers different ethnic minority women face.

This motion has been signed by a total of 59 MPs, 3 of these signatures have been withdrawn.