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The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has announced that British Vogue’s Publishing Director, Vanessa Kingori MBE, will be joining the organisation as a member of the College’s Race Equality Taskforce.
The latest data shows that half of all pregnant women admitted to hospital with symptoms of Covid-19 in the first wave of the pandemic were from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds (1) – with the overall impression in the second wave being that nothing has changed with the inequalities in outcomes.
The Race Equality Taskforce was set up in July 2020 to fully address and provide tangible solutions to racial inequalities in women’s healthcare and the experiences of racism within the UK obstetric and gynaecology workforce. The aims of the taskforce include collaborating with government to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes for all ethnic minority women and young girls.
Vanessa Kingori has regularly been listed as one of the ‘UK’s Most Influential Black Britons’ by the Powerlist magazine and recently topped Campaign’s top 10 trailblazers of 2020. She has been instrumental in using her platforms to raise awareness on issues of inequality, race and women’s health. Vanessa will join the taskforce membership and play an integral role in shaping the future of care for ethnic minority women and young girls in the UK.
Christine Ekechi, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist and Co-Chair of the Race Equality Taskforce, said: “Vanessa will bring a very unique set of skills to the taskforce – having been instrumental in ensuring diversity and inclusion are prioritised on powerful media platforms such as British Vogue. Vanessa’s personal interest in racial inequality and women’s experiences of health, pregnancy and the healthcare system has been vital in raising awareness with the public and ensuring the vital conversation continues. We look forward to drawing on her experience as we move into 2021 and working collaboratively to ensure the ambitious goals of the Race Equality Taskforce are met.”
Vanessa said: “As the daughter of a midwife of over 40 years, I grew up immersed in women’s health narratives. This coupled with my own healthcare experiences and those of women dear to me motivate my desire to help influence change. I’m excited to join this taskforce and to shed light on the issues so all women might have equally excellent care.”
Dr Edward Morris, President at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “We still have a long way to go to making sure health disparities no longer exist, but we are committed as a College to making this happen.”
Read about how RCOG is working with the #FiveXMore campaign to tackle racial disparities in maternal care in the latest issue of Her Life Her Health.