Nearly four in 10 people (37 per cent) think that unemployed Bangladeshi and Pakistani women face cultural and religious barriers that prevent them from working (after family and caring responsibilities, 43 per cent), according to an Ipsos MORI survey commissioned jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The survey also showed that around a half (53 per cent) of people thought that white British women in work were more likely than ethnic minority women in work to have a degree.

A separate study on Pakistani and Bangladeshi women's attitudes to work and family published today by the DWP, found that attitudes are changing from one generation to next. It shows that difficulties in finding suitable childcare and flexible working arrangements act as the biggest barrier to work for ethnic minority women, in the same way as they do for women in general.

Snap judgements 

What's more, research from the EOC's own report looking at ethnic minority women at work found that 90 percent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi 16 year old girls said their parents supported their choice to combine a career with their family responsibilities.

Employment Minister Caroline Flint said: "These reports show that times are changing and that women from all backgrounds want to work in a way that suits them. People can't afford to make snap judgements about the many women from ethnic minorities who are keen and able to work. If they do, they'll miss out on a growing pool of untapped talent that many employers are already waking up to."

When it comes to levels of education, public attitudes are also out of touch with the times. Information from the 2001 census shows that only 24 per cent of white British women in work have a degree, compared to 52 per cent of Black African women, 35 per cent of Pakistani women, 32 per cent of Black Caribbean women, 30 per cent Bangladeshi women and 38 per cent of Indian women.

Stereotypes 

Jenny Watson, Chair of the EOC, said: "The gap between the public's perceptions about the obstacles holding ethnic minority women back at work and the actual reality is startling. While many pin the cause of Black and Asian women's employment gap on culture and lack of skills, the evidence, particularly for younger women, is pointing to something very different."

"As the EOC's two-year investigation illustrated, there is a generation of increasingly well qualified and ambitious young women, the vast majority of whom tell us their families support their choices to balance a career with a family. We need to tackle both the practical barriers they face such as help with childcare and better careers advice as well as challenging persistent and outdated stereotypes. Only then will we deliver real change."

These results are published ahead of a DWP forum called Closing the Gaps in London's O2 centre on Saturday 22 September. The forum is a joint initiative between the DWP Ethnic Minority Employment Taskforce and the Equal Opportunities Commission and is being chaired by Ipsos MORI. It will be attended by ethnic minority women from across London and employers who are committed to workforce diversity.

In 2005, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, asked the National Employment Panel to establish a Business Commission on Race Equality in the Workforce to recommend ways to tackle disadvantage and discrimination in the labour market.

The Commission has been chaired by Gordon Pell, Chief Executive Retail Markets at Royal Bank of Scotland, and includes employers from across the public and private sectors. The Commission is due to publish its report on 11th October 2007. The Government has said it will consider carefully the views of business leaders on how best to support employers to tackle discrimination and promote equality in the workplace.

Related links

• Department for Work and Pensions
• Equal Opportunities Commission