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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
RAILSTAFF MAY - JUNE 2022
WOMEN IN RAIL WORKING FOR ALL WOMEN IN RAIL TRUSTEE MOHANAD ISMAIL SPOKE TO RAILSTAFF ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNIC REPRESENTATION WITHIN LEADERSHIP, HOW ETHNICITY AND NATIONALITY CAN IMPACT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW THIS MUST CHANGE.
W
omen in Rail (WR) was established in 2012 to improve diversity in the UK rail industry by providing networking opportunities for women. The organisation, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in April, includes representatives from a wide range of undertakings and stakeholders across the UK rail industry. In its 10 years of operations, the remit of WR has expanded to include the broader issue of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the workplace. Along with the Rail Industry Association (RIA), the charity co-founded the EDI Charter. Representing WR on the EDI Charter working group is Mohanad Ismail. Mohanad, a chartered engineer, became a WR board trustee in 2020. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, with Sudanese heritage, Mohanad moved to Ireland at the age of 10 before relocating to the UK in 2012. His diverse background gives him a terrific perspective on the challenges faced by ethnic minorities in the western workplace. Championing the rights of women in the workplace industry is crucial, says Mohanad, but, he adds, diversity is wider than gender alone. “There is no hierarchy in diversity,” he says. By this, he means that the term ‘woman’ is not monolithic – it encompasses a vast array of individuals and each of these has a different personal experience. The role that ethnicity, culture, and religion plays in the experience of women must be considered if all women are to benefit from EDI initiatives. “What about the experience of Black women, Indian women, Muslim women?” he asks. “They all have a different experience that does not fit neatly under one umbrella.” Mohanad’s experience of growing up in different countries gives him an insight into the pressure that non-native people face to adapt to cultural norms. “When you come from my kind of background, you’re constantly in reflection mode, because, for instance, certain things I may say or do in the UK may not necessarily be suitable in Sudan, or in Ireland, or Saudi Arabia. You’ve always got to be conscious of what is going on around you, and that shapes you as a person.” He's also used to having to going the extra mile to make himself noticed by employers. “Growing up in Ireland, I was the only black student out of 700 in my school. And even at that age you start thinking, ‘if there are X number of ‘local’ jobs on offer, what are the chances of me getting one when I’m up against 699 ‘local’ kids?’ That plays on your mind. But because it’s more difficult to progress, RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
you end up working that bit harder to make yourself more attractive to employers.” This belief is partly what led Mohanad to study for four degrees. He holds a BEng in electronic engineering; a BEng in embedded systems & design; a BEng in electronic and computer engineering; and an Msc in Digital Systems. “I had to do something to make myself stand above other candidates in some way,” he says. But even then, he found it difficult to break into engineering, and it was only after a year and a half and many rejections that he landed a job in the rail industry.
A COMMON PROBLEM Mohanad thinks his experience is representative of most people from minority ethnic backgrounds. “I personally feel that the opportunities for minority groups are not there and, if you’re not a white male, you have to take any opportunity that comes your way. I see people from minority ethnic backgrounds work hard to differentiate themselves from their white colleagues just to get the same types of opportunities. I see people who are ‘overqualified’ for the role they’re in, but they have to get those qualifications otherwise they’ll be overlooked.”
Mohanad Ismail.
