Account 3 and the Dare to Lead Programme
Based in Tower Hamlets, Account3 is a community-based support organisation whose driver is to support women’s economic independence and personal development within the local area. Dare to Lead is a programme organised by Account3. The 12-week programme is aimed at black, Asian and minority ethnic women in the Tower Hamlet area.
The women enrolled on the course completed a series of online classes on feminist leadership values, networking, negotiations, building personal confidence and other leadership topics. Once they had completed this stage of the course, the women took what they had learned and built upon it by creating their own social action project.
Previously the women on the course have created an animation about domestic abuse in relation to the increase seen because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, this year, the women focused on racism within the workplace.
The Dare to Lead women split into groups to work on different sections of the animation: Some worked on researching facts and figures, others wrote the script, some collated key contact details whilst others began working on the animations storyboard. Then they came to us to turn their ideas into something beautiful. Our team then helped the women to finalise style frames, enhanced the scrips and began work on the animation. It was important for us that the animation remained as authentic as possible, so they decided to have the Dare to Lead women record the voiceover.
Participants of this year’s video
· Aneita Lewis
· Azuka Awa
· Consilia Kgatisoe
· Farhat Abbasi
· Jasmin Begum
· Mahbubun Nessa Khanom
· Nabila Bouali
· Shahana Begom
· Sonita Moben
· Zamzam Ali Mohamed
Research
When working on a project with a sensitive subject matter like this, we wanted to ensure we got it right. We therefore undertook a lot of research on the topic to further our own knowledge, but also to help us build the script for the animation and to use as statistics throughout.
Some of the statistics that we felt needed to be shared were:
· 61% report changing themselves to ‘fit-in’ at work, from the language or words they use (37%), their hairstyle (26%) and even their name (22%).
· 39% of women of colour stated their well-being had been impacted by a lack of progression.
· Being refused promotion led to loss of motivation for 43% of women of colour.
· 65.1% BAME women and 73.8% of BAME men working outside the home reported anxiety as a result of having to go out to work during the coronavirus pandemic.
· Within the top tech firms in the UK, over 70% of boards and senior executive teams do not have a BAME member; in fact, women of BAME backgrounds only make up around 2% of boards and senior executive teams.
The women working on the Dare to Lead course also did vast amounts of research which they shared with us to allow us to build the animation. One of the key areas of research they carried out was a series of interviews with BAME women at work. The women were asked to share whatever they felt comfortable sharing about racism they faced in the workplace and how it made them feel. The answers shared a common theme of abuse and negativity leading to depression, and other mental health issues.
We used these interviews to directly build the animation script. Quotes like ‘I don’t see colour’ and ‘you’re being too sensitive’ were taken directly from an interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COFbKz0Bt5g
https://www.runnymedetrust.org/publications/broken-ladders
Script
We are proud of our heritage. Our culture and upbringing make us the women that we are today: humorous, positive, and determined.
Our style reflects our bright personalities. But at work, we get comments about what we wear, how we talk, where we come from, and
some even dare to touch our hair.
When management roles become available, we are never encouraged to apply
Instead, they give them to white middle class people.
We change our appearance in the hope that we fit in. But it makes us feel conflicted about who we really are and how we present ourselves.
When we speak to our managers about these issues, they say ‘Racism doesn’t exist in this company’
Our experiences are dismissed repeatedly, which makes us feel lonely, anxious, and defeated.
We’re just a shadow of our colourful selves.
How confident are you that there are no barriers to progression in your company?
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion must be a priority for the CEO, Leadership Team, and the rest of the workforce.
Remove unconscious bias by implementing blind recruitment
Communicate clearly how promotion works.
Hold moderated forums for conversations about race.
Establish mentorship programs.
Be on the right side of justice and join the fight against racism.
Engagement
Dear Employee was never designed to be shared and gain success on social media, instead it was distributed via email and WhatsApp. However, it did still gain some attention online.
· 560 views on YouTube and 27 likes
· 21 Likes on Facebook, 5 comments
· 15 likes on Twitter, 8 retweets
Testimonials
Studio Giggle once again nailed it with this project. Thank you so much for all your hard work. We are all so so over the moon with the final animation. The women are so happy with the way you transformed their ideas and research into something so beautiful. We’ll now be arranging a private screening for the Tower Hamlets community, but the positive feedback is already rapidly flowing in! Thanks so much! Cherifa Atoussi, Managing Director at Account 3
Comments from social media
· I’m the BAME executive at London Borough of Havering and watching the “Dear Employer,” animated video really moved and inspired me. I’m hopeful for the future.
· This is an incredible resource that strikes the balance between practical advice and showing the psychological effects of racism in the workplace alongside the Broken Ladders report.
· If you watch anything today, please watch this - a new animated short film, entitled ‘Dear Employer…’
· Great video. Impactful and let’s hope more employers take the time to listen and with positive action toward genuine inclusion!
· ‘This brand new animated short film, entitled ‘Dear Employer…’ this clip and message will no doubt resonate with many women of diverse ethnic minority backgrounds & faiths moreover give employers food for thought. I’m sharing this on because all too often I listen to Black, Asian & Ethnic Minority women & women of faith living through soul destroying experiences at work. In the majority of cases, they suffer in silence because they fear they wouldn’t be heard or believed. Those that do pluck up the courage to seek advice, sadly don’t always get the help and support they deserve. Having watched this clip through a couple of times, I can see how this can help open up much needed conversations on racism at work and encourages employers to be more conscious of how both implicit and explicit racism and racist practices impact staff and their mental well-being. Ultimately this is a strong call out to employers to be mindful and take account of what is going on under their watch & leadership.
· An amazing powerful product
· Very powerful message
· Bloody amazing,
· It is gorgeous to look at. Straight forward message
· Though out piece of work that really capture people’s live experience.
· Amazing work shedding light on such an important issue within the workforce. Great to see that works being done to take a stand against racism and be on the right side of history!
· Clear, straight to the point & powerful.
