大象传媒

How the SC-WRES is supporting rights justice and action for all women and girls

In honour of International Women鈥檚 Day, this Good News Friday we hear how the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) is supporting 鈥淩ights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls鈥� which is the UN focus for International Women鈥檚 Day.

Mukosha Mbushi, Head of Service, Provider Services, Islington Council

I often say my career hasn’t followed a straight line, but it’s a journey I’m incredibly proud of. Although I originally set out to work in law and completed my degree with that intention, it was a part鈥憈ime role in social care during my studies that truly changed my path. I loved the work straightaway—supporting people with learning disabilities, seeing their inspiring outlook on life, and realising how meaningful and empowering that work could be.

After graduating, I spent time in the private and charity sectors before joining Islington Council in 2014 as a senior support worker in an in鈥慼ouse residential care home. From there, I worked my way up: deputy manager, manager, residential services manager, and eventually head of service overseeing all CQC鈥憆egistered services. Soon, I’ll also be taking on day services and the assistive technology team. It has been a journey built on ambition, being open to challenge, and stretching myself even when it felt uncomfortable—but never in a way that compromised my wellbeing.

Alongside my operational role, I’ve been leading on the SC鈥慦RES work since October 2024. I was asked whether I’d like to oversee the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard project because of my passion for equalities, and I didn’t hesitate. It quickly became something I wove into my day鈥憈o鈥慸ay role because I believe so strongly in its purpose.

This work matters because it gives us data—real, tangible evidence—that opens up conversations we need to have. It allows us to examine issues such as representation, pay scales, bullying and harassment, and progression, and then look deeper into the intersectional factors behind them. For women and girls especially, equity cannot be achieved without understanding how race, neurodiversity, disability, age and so many other aspects of identity interweave. SC-WRES gives us a foundation to ask better questions and make better decisions.

Through this programme, we’ve brought forward conversations on menopause, periods, neurodiversity, hybrid working, and career pathways. We’re exploring personal development plans that reflect different ambitions—whether progression or upskilling—and looking at mentoring, apprenticeships and buddy systems that widen opportunities across the whole council. For me, this is how we begin to embody this year’s International Women’s Day theme of “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls.” We create systems that see people fully and help them move forward in the way that best suits them.

On a personal level, that theme resonates deeply. I want to be a positive role model—to my nieces, to colleagues, to the women across social care who may not have always seen themselves represented in senior roles. One of the most meaningful moments in my career was when a staff member told me that seeing my progression helped her feel hope again. That, for me, is everything.

If by the time I retire I can say I helped women and girls feel valued, confident, and able to advocate for themselves and others then I’ll feel I’ve done something truly worthwhile.

Fiona Murphy, Head of Culture and Diversity, 大象传媒

The Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard Improvement Programme (SC-WRES) is underpinned by social justice programming, with a human rights basis.

Social justice programming aims to dismantle injustice and barriers to equity. Using a social justice approach means tailoring to participants needs; concentrating on root causes of discrimination and aiming to make systemic change.

While the SC-WRES programme is focused on anti-racism, the methodology and impact cuts across all protected characteristics and other areas of discrimination. It examines for example, power dynamics, inclusion, barriers, law, policy and practice.

Global majority women and girls face additional barriers to equity. When we understand systemic racism – and its history and origins – similar methodology helps us to understand the systemic and historical discrimination also faced by women and girls.

Using a social justice approach, we understand racism through a critical race lens, and discrimination and misogyny against women and girls through a feminist lens. This approach recognises the multiple layers of discrimination that women and girls are subjected to and the history and background of how this is systemic discrimination and needs a transformative, rather than transactional, approach.

Consider that only 10% of world leaders are women and according to UN Women, this is unlikely to change at our current rate, for 130 years. Between the 15^th and 18^th centuries around 85% of the 40,000 to 60,000 people who were killed in European witch trials were women. According to the 2021 census 2.77 million women in England are unpaid carers – around 10.3% - compared to 2 million men. Women in the UK are 50% more likely to be in low paid work than men.

We can understand women’s history as a story told by men – ‘His-Story’ and many of these stories have captured stories of men.

In all my work as Head of Culture and Diversity in 大象传媒, in leading our SC-WRES work and my personal life, Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls is front and centre.

We hold up half the world, we should be making half the decisions, particularly those that directly affect our minds and bodies.

I would encourage you to take some time to read about the and the, and to remember the unnoticed and uncelebrated women and girls who have provided care for generations and who will continue to do so long into the future. The UK Government has a duty to report to the UN on progress under these treaties every four years.

Find out more about the SC-WRES.

Learn more about International Women’s Day with our dedicated landing page.

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