The Race Equality Caucus was set up at the 2018 Women’s Equality Party conference. Its purpose is to bring together Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) members in the party to discuss the issues GEM communities face in the fight for gender and racial equality and ensure GEM voices are heard within the party.

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For too long, the fight for equality has been either/or, but the impact of the intersection between gender and race on GEM women, is real and damaging. As a party that stands and fights for equality for all, considering this intersection in every conversation is vital. The Race Equality Caucus exists to ensure this happens, and aims to become a constant voice in every policy consideration, so that eventually, race and women's equality becomes the norm, not the exception. 

Audre Lorde wrote "I am not free while any woman is unfree even when her shackles are very different  from my own". It is with this sentiment that we share our experiences and have created a space which allows a specific focus on the issues that GEM women face in the fight for gender and racial equality and to ensure our voices are heard within the party.

What is a caucus? 

A caucus is a political term that is used for a faction or group within a political party that has a particular focus. Our Caucus is an inclusive space with two key arms: 

-Those who identify as from a GEM background can join our Caucus membership
-Those who are white, can join our Race Equality Allies group.  

The Race Equality Caucus is a network that aims to support GEM women in their similar and diverse experiences. GEM women are a group that are often forgotten and marginalised, and their challenges and perspectives ignored. This Caucus aims to rectify that and amplify the voices of GEM women so that their experiences are heard and taken on board and shared. 

The Race Equality Caucus abhors the oppression of any group of people. We have a commitment to unity and opposing any destructive forces that try to manipulate and divide us. Systems and structures of oppression have always used the divide-and-conquer strategy to maintain their power. As the Race Equality Caucus we are committed to standing together across our identities and actively promoting equity.  

Why choose the phrase GEM? 

The term Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) is a phrase that was selected in 2020 by Caucus members to replace the use of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME).

The Race Equality Caucus commits to using the racial or ethnic term that is specific to the group in question, or is preferred by an individual. However, when describing our collective racially diverse backgrounds, Global Ethnic Majority was selected as the preferred term. Not only is it positive, it accurately states our position in the world. We acknowledge that GEM as a term may not be perfect and many in these communities have chosen to identify with other terms. 

WE value the different experiences that those from GEM backgrounds bring to our Caucus. It is through our differences that we learn and grow. Through mutually sharing and capitalising on these differences we become a force for change in relation to gender and racial equality.

Our definition of racism

We are a group that actively challenges racism in all its forms and use the below definition of racism to help guide our work: 

The one way “systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another” based on “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”

WE aim to

• Hold the Women’s Equality Party to account to ensure it is anti-racist, intersectional and representative within its organisational structure. 

• Unite GEM Party members across the UK, providing a network that focuses on our similar and diverse experiences, in the fight for race and gender equity.

• Encourage more people from GEM Communities to join the Women's Equality Party and the Race Equality Caucus and encourage participation in Party activities

• Be activists against racism and facilitate conversation and discourse on race equity in the UK and worldwide

The Race Equality Caucus has a committee of up to 9 members that work to achieve the above objectives. We are pleased to confirm that our committee members from July 2023 to July 2024 are as follows: 

Leader: Olivia Vincenti

Steering Committee Representative: Olivia Vincenti 

Committee members: Claudia Crawley & Sellisha Lockyer

Do you share the aims of the Race Equality Caucus?   

If so, get involved in one of two ways.

Become a Race Equality Caucus member where you will join a network of GEM women and can also volunteer to join the Race Equality Caucus committee. Membership is open to any Women’s Equality Party member that identifies as GEM.