Statement of ServiceNorth East Equality & Diversity Partnership
Press Release - RANJANA RINGS THE CHANGES FOR EQUALITY
AN entrepreneur and Government advisor on women's rights is to head up North East England's first regional body to promote equality and diversity through regeneration and employment.
Ranjana Bell, who runs her own consultancy on equality and diversity and is also a board member of the Women's National Commission, has been appointed by One NorthEast as Chair of the region's first ever Equality and Diversity Partnership.
The partnership's job will be to improve levels of economic and social inclusion in North East England, raising awareness and increasing the understanding of equality and diversity. It will work with private business, public sector organisations and with those in the community and voluntary sector - including universities, healthcare providers, police and community groups - to encourage everyone to get involved in local and regional policy-making.
Ranjana (biography below) said: 'This is a very exciting and challenging opportunity for me. My role is to guide our partners in taking forward the Action Plan that has been agreed, and my approach will be one of ensuring social inclusion; by this I mean that every individual should feel that they have been included in decisions that are being made for them.
'We all want to find the most effective ways of engaging with people, and to get them involved with an honest debate.
'The agenda is enormous and undoubtedly there are difficult issues to address, but I hope I am able to rise to the challenge of being the partnership's first leader as it sets out on this journey.
One NorthEast's Assistant Chief Executive (strategy), Pat Ritchie, said: 'Tackling the issues which can prevent people from playing an active role in the economy - not just with those who aren't in employment but with employers and in communities too - is a really important part of the Regional Economic Strategy, and the new board will play a big part in this.
'Our communities in North East England are increasingly diverse and outward-looking, yet we know there are still many people who don't have the same opportunities as others to contribute to those communities, the economy and the future of our region.
'I'm delighted that Ranjana has agreed to head up the partnership's work to address this. With an impressive track record as an advocate for those fighting discrimination, a successful businesswoman and an advisor to the Government and public sector organisations, I am confident that she has the expertise and influence needed to launch the partnership's activity in the region. I very much look forward to working with her.
To coincide with Ranjana's appointment, a new microsite for the partnership is being launched at www.equality-ne.co.uk/needp, where anyone can find the latest information about members, news and events, research and meetings.
Equality North East's Chief Executive, Liz Reay, said: 'Equality North East is delighted to be hosting the new web page for the partnership. This is a great opportunity to involve everyone who is willing and able to contribute to the successful delivery of equality and diversity priorities all of which are crucial to the continued prosperity of the region.
The Regional Economic Strategy sets out the importance of economic inclusion to the region's competitiveness and, so, to achieving its targets of creating up to 22,000 new businesses, getting another 70,000 peoplple into work and raising the region's GVA to 90% of the national average by 2016.
The region's first Equality and Diversity Action Plan states that there is clear evidence that many groups are under-represented in the labour market or which are disproportionately represented in certain job sectors, or at different levels of seniority or income.
As one example, National Statistics' most recent Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2007 shows the employment rate for white people of working age was 71.7% of a total of 1,052,800 people. By comparison, the employment rate for non-white people of working age was 55.5%, of a total of 29,600 people.
Ranjana Bell biography
Ranjana started her career as a teacher for children with special needs, and has worked for Newcastle City Council and The University of Northumbria. Ranjana is Executive Director of rba Equality and Diversity Limited, a company she set up in 1998.
Ranjana has more than twenty five years of experience in the field of equality and diversity, during which time she has conducted research, delivered training, conducted independent investigations into complaints of discrimination and provided policy advice and guidance. Her work has taken her to the USA, Canada and Ireland.
Ranjana has been a Member of Employment Tribunals in Newcastle for over six years; she is a trustee for The Angelou Centre (a BME women's employment and training centre); a trustee for The Foundation for Good Governance; a board member of The Tyneside Cyrenians; and a board member of WIN (Women in the Network).
In January 2005 she took up her appointment as Commissioner for the Women's National Commission, the official and independent advisory body giving the views of women to the Government. It is an umbrella organisation representing women and women's organisations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to ensure women's views are taken into account and are heard in public debate.
April 17, 2008
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