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Section
E:
Involving Socially Excluded or Harder to Reach Groups
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Specific Issues For Different "Hard to reach" Groups.
Ethnic Minority Groups
Ethnic minority groups are not in any sense a homogenous group, and in fact some ethnic minorities will be much harder to reach than others. Some key points to consider are set out below.- How will you be able to contact the ethnic minority residents you want to consult (see p10).
- There may be even less previous involvement with, or understanding of, the consultation process. This needs to be clearly explained.
- How are the Council perceived by the group? What needs to change,if anything, to increase trust and confidence?
- Respect needs to be shown for cultural issues (eg separate meetings may be needed for men and women amongst Asian communities).
- Is there a need to use researchers or facilitators from the same cultural background as the target group?
- Is there a need to have interpreters available?
- Make sure your consultation takes account of cultural / religious needs (eg prayer times, Ramadan).
- Some groups of Asian women are very unlikely to attend meetings outside the home (eg Bengali, Pataan), so it may be necessary to find different methods to consult these women.
- For written consultation exercises consider having the information translated into the main Asian languages or recorded verbally onto tape in those languages. The main languages are Urdu, Punjabi, Gujerati, Bengali, and Hindi.
South Asian Women
Bradford District has a wealth of diverse ethnic minority communities. There are areas with concentrations of communities from the South Asian origin. Within these communities there are women from various backgrounds, cultures and religions e.g. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Bangladeshi, Punjabi, Gugerati, Christian and Pathan. Broadly speaking all these are Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women from South East Asia.There are a number of issues to consider and practical steps that can be taken to help the participation of women from these communities. The guidelines now describe and discuss these in further detail.
Purdah and Izzat
The “Women only” concept is well accepted in all Asian cultures. Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Muslim women have their own religious circles. Hindu women meet at the Temple whilst Sikh women meet at the Gurdawara for religious communal purposes. In most cases Muslim women are likely to met at a house for Friday prayers although some space is now created for women in mosques. Muslim communities particularly believe in ‘women only’ provision as a religious requirement. Purdah, meaning belief in women only provision and Izzat, meaning moral code of conduct and respect for the whole familyMedia and Photographs
In most cases dealing with the media and taking photographs is potential a sensitive issue for Asian women. It is likely to be more objectionable amongst Muslim women than Hindu or Sikh women. It is best to ask women beforehand and make it clear to them why and for what purpose the photos are required and where the photos will be displayed.Communication of Language barriers
The linguistic needs of Asian women need to be catered for. It has been identified many times that language is the main barrier to communication and therefore participation. If interpreting is required then it is important to ensure that the translating and interpreting is undertaken in the attendees language and dialect. For community consultation purposes any translating and interpreting should be done through a qualified bi-lingual female. There are a few useful points that will be helpful in considering language issues:- Don’t assume that because women are from a particular community that they will not speak English
- Be aware that many women will not speak English or have English as a second language
- Women may speak a language but may not be able to read or write in the language
- Pictures/ visual images/ videos/ audio tapes can be a less formal way of presenting information
Venue
The venue should be a place to meet that is non-threatening. These can be places where women are used to meeting such as the local school, drop-in centre and local community centres. Here are a few tips when considering a venue:- What other activities are taking place at the venue and will this put women off from attending?
- Do women require transport to enable them to attend?
- Do signs need to be in different languages and large print?
- Is the building “neutral” or may it put off certain sections of the community?
- Is there a male caretaker, if so is he going to be around?
- Is there a room for prayers for Muslim women?
Times and dates of meetings
Experience of working with Asian women and contact with the community centres indicates that the best time to hold an event or consultation with Asian women who are not at work is when children are at school. The most popular times for women with children seems to be 9-11am and 1-3pm. If holding the meeting at a local community centre, it is best to check with them to advise on which would be the best time. If you are planning an event at a local school, it will be useful to liaise with the Home School Liaison officer who may be able to advise and guide you through their experience of suitable times for local women. Make sure when arranging consultation that these do not conflict with other major events such as religious festivals or religious days.Dietary Requirements
If you are organising a meeting where food will be provided then it is important to note the following points:- Distinction needs to be made between Halal and non Halal meat as Muslim women will only eat Halal meat and most Sikh women will only eat non Halal meat
- Any food should not contain alcohol, i.e. past sauces
- The food should be cooked according to Asian culinary style
- Vegetarian food should be served separately from any meat dishes
- All foods should be clearly labeled when presented
- The majority of Sikh women will not east eggs
- City Hall, Bradford on 01274 432264
- Beggars banquet at St Peters House, Bradford 01274 431441
Shaking of hands
Some women may not feel comfortable shaking hands with men. This is for religious reasons. It may be better to let the women take the initiative to shake hands.- consultation exercises often need to find out the views of an accurate cross-section of the population as a whole; and
- different sections of the community may have needs or views that are different from those of the majority and, if they are not consulted effectively, these needs or views may remain invisible.
| Section D | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | Section A |
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Introduction and Framework Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E |
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