Passed by: Senedd
Passed on: 27/04/2026
Status: We are Working on it.
Details:
We would like the Undeb to reflect an updated stance on the race and ethnicity by changing the terminology. In its report, published on 31 March 2021, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities found that aggregate terms like ‘BAME’ (black, Asian and minority ethnic) were no longer helpful and should be dropped, advocating instead a focus on understanding disparities and outcomes for specific ethnic groups.
The government’s response to the Commission’s was published on 17 March 2022. This sets out a ground-breaking action plan intended to tackle negative disparities, promote unity. It also includes a commitment to no longer use the term ‘BAME’ in government.
But why does this matter?
‘BAME’ is frequently used to group all ethnic minorities together. BAME seems to favour some racial groups over others. For instance, Irish Travellers would be classed under BAME as Minority Ethnic along with other groups with different identities and experiences. BAME does not accommodate ethnic identities in the way that GEM, for example, would. GEM, though not perfect within an Aber context, creates some kind of balance. The use of BAME could disguise huge differences in outcomes between ethnic groups. For example, we know that the picture of educational attainment across different ethnic groups is complex.
In 2019, a higher than average percentage of children in state-funded schools from Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi groups achieved strong passes in English and Maths GCSEs. But looking at these results from a ‘BAME’ perspective would have skewed the picture, masking the success of those particular groups and under-performance by others.
Submitted by: Tanaka Chikomo
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