In our recent paper "The Lack of Race and Ethnicity Data in Australia—A Threat to Achieving Health Equity" (https://lnkd.in/gNXWvrem ) we argue that race and ethnicity data matter and are imperative to ensuring proper advocacy and reducing social and health inequities. Some the issues discussed in the paper would inform the WSU's Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy, which we believe needs to be updated. We contend that broad aggregations of cultural groups such as "culturally and Linguistically Diverse" terminologies can lead to false assumptions and the inadequate allocation of resources. Collecting meaningful race and ethnicity data must be part of the national agenda and must be a primary objective in order to achieve public good and support public interest. We reiterate that in order to address racial and ethnic disparities, inclusionary othering (i.e. the activation of power within relationships or decision-making processes used to transform communities and build coalitions), must be a priority. We may be lagging behind when compared to other OECD countries. The UK and USA have robust systems for capturing race and ethnicity data at various levels of service delivery in order to detect and address inequities. For example, the UK Research and Innovation agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Research have developed policies to address under-representation and promote active participation at all levels of research funding scheme and academic rank, which they update regularly. Using harmonised race and ethnicity data, these institutions track inequities in research funding for both applicants and awardees, covering grants, fellowships, and PhD scholarships. Recently, the UK Office for National Statistics began reporting on the race and ethnicity pay gap each year and recommended mandatory ethnic pay gap reporting. The USA (US Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget) and Canada (Employment Equity Act) have clearly developed policy statements and protocols related to the inclusion of race and ethnicity in all data collection and reporting at all levels of government and service delivery. Such data are used to monitor inequities in research funding, to improve services by identifying and serving visible minority groups, to maintain quality improvement efforts, and to monitor progress towards reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health and social services.
why is Australia afraid to collect race and ethnicity data beyond indigenous status?
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