White Allies Matter

Vanisha Parmar is a passionate and committed change agent and an anti- racist advocate. She is a diversity specialist with 20 years' experience of working in large, complex organisations including the education sector and legal sector, not for profits, the third sector. She is a Law graduate but decided not to pursue a career as a solicitor and, instead, studied a Masters in Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of Warwick. She was recently named in the Women in Law's UK's top 100 future power list for her work in the legal profession and regularly speaks on diversity, bias and anti-racism in addition to other areas of equality. Her work incudes supporting organisations in creating strategic change as well as providing solutions at an operational level.Aseia Rafique is passionate about equality, equity, diversity and inclusion and in particular in the area of women's rights. She has extensive experience of working across all sectors to challenge sexism, racism, and stereotypes and misogyny against women. Having her own business has meant Aseia has been able to support, advocate and promote inclusivity across diverse business organisations, in the third sector, in education and in law. Having the privilege to work in equality, diversity and inclusion has meant realising the potential to drive change, to help others overcome adversity and to simply champion the rights of others. She studied for a Masters in Gender & International Development at Warwick University and has lived and worked abroad in Harbin, China.