Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Blog

Melanie Price: Staff Networks

Melanie Price: Staff Networks

There’s an old saying, “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.” When you look around at nature, you can see it’s true. By networking, we get the opportunity to flock with people who share our interests and values – building strength in identity and providing a platform for ideas and feedback.

Dr Perpetual Eze-Idehen: Easter and Lent Reflection

Dr Perpetual Eze-Idehen: Easter and Lent Reflection

As the seasons transition from winter’s cold embrace to the budding warmth of spring, Christians worldwide embark on a profound journey of faith, reflection, repentance, and renewal known as Lent. This ancient tradition spans the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday, commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness.

Quincy Ernest: “No One Will Help Me” – A Lesson in Being an Active Bystander

Quincy Ernest: “No One Will Help Me” – A Lesson in Being an Active Bystander

“No one will help me,” my co-worker told me, their voice low, tired—almost resigned. It was 2008, the year of the financial crash. For my co-worker, it wasn’t just about the economy. They were the only ethnic minority in their team, and when the layoffs came, they were the first to go. No redundancy consultation, no fair process. When they approached HR, they were met with cold formalities. The union? Even they hesitated, unwilling to take on a fight that might not be won. That’s when I asked if I could help. I wasn’t in a position of power. I wasn’t a lawyer. But I had a choice: to be just another bystander watching the inevitable play out – or to be active.

Rachel Miller: On Active Bystanding

Rachel Miller: On Active Bystanding

‘There are two kinds of evil people in this world. Those who do evil stuff, and those who see evil stuff being done and don’t try to stop it.’ This is what social outcast Janis Ian tells previously home-schooled Cady Heron to convince her to participate in a revenge plot against queen bee Regina George in the 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls. Whilst disagreeing with the practice of evil promoted by Janis in the film (!), this blog agrees that letting something bad happen is, itself, a form of harm, and so promotes the practice of active bystanding.

Charlotte Hooson-Sykes: Active Bystander

Charlotte Hooson-Sykes: Active Bystander

Over a decade ago, I signed up to become a Harassment Support Advisor. We’re there when someone uses the Report & Support system, to offer an ear and signpost useful procedures and systems, all without judgement and in a completely confidential setting. Over the years I’ve attended a myriad of courses. One of the courses I attended that I always come back to, that I’ve found one of the most useful to recommend to those I meet with, is Active Bystander Training.

Dr. Sayema Rahman Khan: Reflections on Eid-ul-Fitr: A Celebration of Gratitude, Feasting and Community Spirit

Dr. Sayema Rahman Khan: Reflections on Eid-ul-Fitr: A Celebration of Gratitude, Feasting and Community Spirit

Eid-ul-Fitr (Eid in Arabic means ‘festival’ or ‘feast’, and Fitr means ‘breaking the fast’), celebrated by over 2 billion Muslims worldwide, is the culmination of the sacred month of fasting, Ramadan. Of the two Eids in Islam (the other being Eid-ul-Adha) – Eid-ul-Fitr is my personal favourite. Perhaps because the joy of celebration comes after a month of devoted fasting and prayer.

Katie Twomey: Autistic burnout

Katie Twomey: Autistic burnout

My name’s Katie, and I am in autistic burnout. I’ve been a lecturer at UoM since 2017. I’m surrounded by wonderful colleagues, enthusiastic and talented students and have extremely supportive (and frequently delightfully weird) family and friends. I have a hen’s tooth of a job – I’m permanent! So why do I feel so awful?

Katya Sloboda-Bolton: The importance of intersectionality to #AccelerateAction – International Women’s Day 2025

Katya Sloboda-Bolton: The importance of intersectionality to #AccelerateAction – International Women’s Day 2025

As International Women’s Day comes by again, it’s important that those of us in higher education take the time to reflect on women’s access to the sector. This year’s theme is ‘Accelerate Action’, inspired by the fact that, as per current estimations, it will take until 2158 to reach ‘full gender parity’ (International Women’s Day, 2025). ‘Accelerate Action’ demands that each sector of society takes action to tackle gender disparities with urgency.

Zhiteng Feng: Empowering Women in Higher Education – My Aurora Leadership Journey

Zhiteng Feng: Empowering Women in Higher Education – My Aurora Leadership Journey

In February of this year, I took a step toward leadership growth by joining the Aurora Programme, an initiative designed to address the under-representation of women in leadership roles within higher education. I was drawn to the programme for its structured development approach and the opportunity to connect with and learn from other aspiring and established women leaders in the sector. As I reflect on my journey so far, I am both inspired and hopeful for the future of women in academia.