Forty finalists and winners of the Ethnic Minority Welsh Women Achievement Award from 2011- 2019 are celebrated in a book launched during a ceremony by the association, says Meena Upadhyaya, professor of medical genetics at Cardiff University and founder of the charity association.
Seventy Years of Struggle and Achievement, which was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, tells the stories of inspirational ethnic women that will have an impact on their communities and the wider public.
“It’s absolutely necessary to have role models. So, I’m very pleased that now, as a result of our awards, we are recognising many inspirational role models for ethnic minority women and girls,” adds Meena. “It outlines how the cultural heritage of ethnic minority communities have made an impact on Welsh culture. It’s an extremely inspirational book and I’m sure it will inspire not only ethnic minority women and girls but the wider public.”
Humie Webbe, winner of the association’s social and humanitarian award in 2019, is featured in the book, for her community arts background to help those from disadvantaged communities.
Born in Wales to parents who moved from the Caribbean as part of the Windrush generation, Humie, a single parent to an autistic son, focused her activism on breaking down barriers to health care for people of colour.
“I’ve challenged where people are frightened to challenge and that’s brought me into contact with people who say, ‘can you be on this committee or that committee? And in the work that I’ve been doing, I’ve found that I’ve been the only person of colour, or the first person of colour to be in that space,” says Humie.
Currently, Humie is the co-chair of the Learning Disability Advisory Group, which advises the Welsh government on improving the lives of people with learning disabilities.
Source: Adapted from BBC
