Tackling the under-representation and misrepresentation of women of colour in Scotland’s public life and media
Women of colour commentators exist all over Scotland. We are educators, researchers, campaigners, policy makers, activists, writers, public sector workers, carers and often unpaid experts in so many areas.
But, we are missing from media; rarely are our expertise (whether from personal or professional experience) seen on screen, read in papers, or heard on radio.
We are overlooked and undervalued. We are spoken about, not spoken to.
Too often the response from event organisers or media producers is that no woman of colour was known, none could be found or the same small group of women of colour are called on. It is simply not good enough. Despite many attempts to call this out, we continue to be under-represented.
Pass the Mic exists to tackle under-representation and misrepresentation. With attempts to cultivate new culture wars and sow division, women of colour are increasingly spoken about rather than given the platform to speak for themselves, and the stories of equality and justice we need to hear more of are being sidelined.
This is not simply an issue over numbers, of ticking a box to have some “diversity” on a panel or quoted in an article, it is also about how these opportunities are designed, what decisions are made and, crucially, what issues get oxygen and time to influence public opinion in Scotland.
At Pass the Mic we deliver a range of projects to challenge and change who gets to have a voice in media and decision-making in Scotland.
Our expert directory:
Our growing directory is a small attempt to make change and is open to all women of coloir. It includes a diverse range of women with both learned and lived experience across all areas of society and commentary. If you are looking for someone to be on a panel, give a keynotes, be on tv, write an opinion piece or be on radio. Here’s a place to start. BUT women should not feel compelled to give their expertise for free. If you require input from women of colour pay them adequately for their time through speaker or contributor fees.
Our opinion writers’ programme:
Every year we host a programme for women of colour interested in sharing their expertise through published articles. We work with 25 women and 5 media partners to publish opinion pieces and crucially, ensure that women of colour in Scotland have the platform to share the stories that are often ignored.
Our research and influencing work:
We work with academic partners to research the media’s output at key times (e.g. elections) and monitor who is approached for comment, who is included as an expert, and who is ignored. We use this data to challenge and change the way in which media and influencing happens in Scotland.
Our national gathering and workshops:
We host an annual national gathering designed by and for women of colour, a space of solidarity, sisterhood, and action-planning. We also host a range of workshops for both women of colour to build skills and solidarity, and for media and policy-makers to challenge their ideas of outreach and push for them to do better.
Join the experts list
If you are a woman of colour based in Scotland, tell us your expertise and add yourself to the list. The list is evolving and needs to grow.
About Pass the Mic
This project was founded in October 2019 by Talat Yaqoob; she is a feminist and anti-racist campaigner working across a range of issues for over 15 years. During that time she has often participated in media as a commentator and columnist. She is also a public speaker and is asked to be part of panels and give keynote speeches across the third and public sector. Talat started Pass the Mic to make sure these opportunities are available to more women of colour in Scotland, to tackle the lazy line she’s heard too often; “we couldn’t find anyone” and to push for change in how media and public opinions are influenced in Scotland.