NOMINATIONS ARE now open for the Baton Awards: celebrating BAME women of the past, present and future, rising to the challenge revealed by the 2020 Sex and Power Index that there is an alarming lack of BAME women across the top jobs in all sectors.

One of the UK’s leading annual awards ceremony from the BAME community will take place online this November, with nominations opening in 14 categories to give support, guidance and encouragement to the many industries suffering with a lack of BAME female representation.

An incredible line-up of female pioneers and trailblazers – past, present and future, from diverse racial groups, will gather for The Baton Awards 2020, usually held at the House of Lords. 

“The event serves to inspire and celebrate pioneers and innovators of the past, present, and future.”

This year, due to Covid-19, the Awards will take place online in compliance with the current lockdown restrictions and guidelines. 

In a stunning testimony to womanhood, some of the UK’s leading female influencers from diverse racial groups are once again coming together to judge, host, present and speak at this year’s awards ceremony.

“Women are still vastly under-represented in positions of power, with such slow progress being made in many sectors that the UK is still generations away from achieving equality,” according to recent research.

Equality

The 2020 Sex and Power Index from the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights and equality charity, charts how women remain ‘missing’ in significant numbers from top jobs in politics, law, civil service, trade unions, charities, professional bodies and sports bodies.

However, far more disconcerting is the fact that women from diverse racial groups are being served a crude deal by modern Britain.

Industry reports further reveal that in sectors such as the civil service, a third of permanent secretaries are women (up from 31% in 2018 to 34% currently); but there are no women from diverse racial groups in these roles. In business, just over one in 20 chief executives of FTSE 100 companies are women. Again, none from the diverse ethnic community.

This is where the Baton Awards takes centre stage in the campaign for awareness. 

Community

Endorsed by Lord Hastings, the Baton Awards nominations are invited from all over the country and include a global category in acknowledgement of the ethnically diverse female community.

The Baton Awards not only pays homage to these women, but serves to inspire and celebrate pioneers and innovators of the past, present, and future across diverse sectors by provoking a positive drive for change from the constitutional level, down to the myriad of industries that aren’t being accessed by the diverse female ethnic community.

As these women continue to struggle to gain access, opportunity, and equality in key industries, some of last year’s winners making waves and breaking through the glass ceiling include Zainab Badawi (Sudanese-British television and radio journalist), Eartha Pond (campaigner and former Tottenham Hotspur LFC footballer), and Cllr Anna Rothery (British politician).

Founder Dr Diahanne Rhiney BCAe instituted the Baton Awards to inspire and celebrate women from diverse racial groups in honour of her late mother.

An award-winning global empowerment ambassador who has travelled the world in her mission to empower women all over the globe, studied extensively, and consistently implemented her method for youth and female empowerment.

Widespread

She says: “Racism remains a widespread issue in everyday life for women from diverse racial groups here in the UK and the world over, particularly during Covid-19 lockdown and politically, with the murder of George Floyd as we continue to be served a ‘double indictment’. The third annual Baton Awards is needed more than ever as we work to celebrate, empower and acknowledge women from diverse racial groups.”

The Baton Awards 2020 will take place online on November 26th within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, the international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.

The Baton Awards is not just an event. It is about a global tribe of women thriving, growing, and progressing via the platform of The Baton Awards as a movement.

The Baton Awards is now in its third year as the team prepare to advance more change for women in 2020 and continue to support women from diverse racial groups through our global movement, campaigns, webinars, events, and debates.

Every year the awards raises funds for children’s domestic abuse charity Strength Within Me foundation (SWIM), providing comprehensive intervention in response to the prevalence of domestic abuse among young girls and women.

Visit: https://thebatonawards.com