3 March 2025. In February, we had the honour of attending the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ review of the UK’s implementation of a key human rights treaty, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in Geneva.
This was a crucial opportunity to bring forward the voices of migrants and our lived experience and highlight the need to engage migrant communities in improving health equalities and sustainable economy in the U.K.
Advocating for Health Equalities and Migrant Engagement
We partnered with the Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC) in submitting a joint civil society report that focused on (1) state obligations in the context of business activities; (2) right to just and favourable conditions of work; and (3) right to physical and mental health.
WBI’s Director of Community Engagement, Anita David, and Community Researcher, Fatma Tuylu, met with other civil society organisations in Geneva and spoke of the health inequalities faced by migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the U.K. Joining them were also our board member, Shipa Ahmed Khan, and our Executive Director, Dr Bonny Ling.
We attended and heard the dialogues between UN human rights experts and the official U.K. delegation. During the meeting, the UK government acknowledged employment and pay disparities, particularly for ethnic minorities, women, and people with disabilities. The government emphasised its introduction of a White Paper that outlined plans to improve employment, including pay gap reporting, targeted support, regional investment and Job Centre reforms.
The UK government must include community organisations to reduce employment and health disparities. As noted by our team in Geneva:
Today, as individuals with lived migration experiences working as frontline community workers, we highlight that health inequalities can only be addressed together by health providers, social services, public health teams and community leaders…In our community study, we found that refugees and asylum seekers affirmed the importance of increasing their participation in health and care research.
The time in Geneva provided invaluable opportunities to connect and exchange ideas with other civil society groups from diverse backgrounds. At a time when collective advocacy is more important than ever, these engagements demonstrated the power of collaboration in advancing human rights.
Our UN Participation Inspire Change Across Generations
As a group founded by the lived experiences of women migrants, we highlight the positive impact at the level of individual households. Our participation in this UN human rights process inspired future leaders and changemakers within families and communities.
The pride [my children] felt for me and their excitement about my involvement in such an important global conversation is invaluable. Moments like this highlights the profound impact of giving marginalised or underrepresented individuals access to these kinds of opportunities. It’s about more than just the event itself—it’s about the lasting influence it can have on the next generation, showing them that their voices, and their experiences, matter on a global stage.
– Anita David, WBI Director of Community Engagement
We are deeply grateful for this opportunity, enabled by the support from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. We also thank SEEAC for their insightful contribution to our joint reporting.
We look forward to continuing the conversation and building on the civil society momentum gained in Geneva, as underscored below on the importance of civic participation:
Being in Geneva, attending these meetings, asking questions to government officials as a normal citizen, makes you feel like you have a little say in the country. I think that everyone has something to say and that these statements will help the country to be in better and more equal conditions. If no one speaks up about the wrongs, we will be condemned to live with wrongs and inequalities. That’s why I think that the existence of such organizations and giving them a say is the basis of being a fair and happy country.
– Fatma Tuylu, WBI Community Researcher
