DIVA spoke with the adviser on gender equity and hate crime about the importance of diversity
BY EMILY ALICE MOSS
Saba is a lived-experience trauma and discrimination speaker and works with many governing bodies to facilitate change including the Crown Prosecution Service scrutiny panels for London Hate Crime and Violence Against Women & Girls, Metropolitan Police Service LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group, Trans and Non-Binary Forum and co-chair for their Learning and Development Community Reference Group.
She is also a trustee for Building Bridges for Peace who promote peace and conflict transformation, and Sutton Women’s Centre who offer women domestic abuse information and support. She is a community ambassador for The Vavengers working to end Female Genital Mutilation and other forms of Violence Against Women and Girls.
She is the Safety & Met Liaison Manager for UK Black Pride, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Diana Award Mentor.
OUTSpoken Speakers Network was launched on 28 September, providing a new platform to amplify, connect, and support LGBTQIA women and non-binary people. Co-founded by Polly Shuteand Raga D’silva, the Network aims to provide a best-in-class speaker agency, expertly designed workshops and training, curated, bespoke panel sessions, networking events and online toolkits and digital content.
Did you have any role models growing up, and if so, who were they? Would you say they shaped your desire to work with and for young people?
As a proud Desi South Asian woman, I grew up in a culturally conservative household and was subject to cultural abuse and childhood trauma with little recollection from age 9-10 below. I spent most of my time in my own fantasy world how I imagined my life would be and was obsessed by Disney and the world of enchantment. That has absolutely meant that today I speak up in spaces so that the voice I didn’t have or knew existed is there for others today. I want them to know what is acceptable behaviour, and what is culturally lawful and give them permission to use their voice. I also want to ensure that those in authority and institutions are culturally aware and recognise the nuances when they speak to young people without judgment but empathy.
What is the most challenging aspect of your career?
Working with various institutions/organisations that see everything through a heteronormative and (for Black and people of colour) a very Western lens so doesn’t take into account the diversity and richness of the many multicultural communities, especially in London. Almost every document and policy is written this way and doesn’t take into account that we have moved forward as a society.
Nuances are often overlooked because they are not understood or recognised, perpetrator behaviour is often associated with cultural practices and young people especially are left out of the picture because parents or carers will control conversations. It’s getting them to understand that the way they deal with a white gay man will be very different to say a transgender woman of Muslim faith – they can’t go in with the same tactics and have to use discretion, really simple things like ask if they’d prefer to speak to a woman. Also, women whether lesbian or bisexual can be fetishised and it’s having to constantly explain why this isn’t ok.
What is a professional achievement that you are most proud of?
Getting intersectionality included within the Met Police London Race Action Plan – not saying I did that single-handedly, but I pushed to ensure when we looked at how the Black community were disproportionately policed we didn’t just look at heteronormative Black folk but ensured that we included and understood that the Black community could also be LGBTQIA, disabled, suffered violence against women and girls, etc. and it was important that these were included within the plan and clearly defined.
Why did you decide to become an adviser and advocate instead?
I have over fifty years of lived experience of childhood trauma and see young people suffering from the same abuse and stigma, especially those within the LGBTQIA community. (I’ve had thirty years of therapy and healing so all good today.) I regularly have women, women of colour, approach me for advice, and guidance on how to navigate the criminal justice system because they’ve been subject to assault, are in fear for their life, their mental health is suffering, they don’t know how to report a crime and sometimes they simply want someone to listen without judgement. I’m able to advise them and advocate on their behalf – I can also help signpost them.
I can give them the support that wasn’t available to me.
Regarding your work with the Metropolitan Police LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group, what are you hoping to see change for the LGBTQIA community in the future?
More women and diverse representation! When I joined the IAG aside from the chair it was a room dominated by gay white men and I was the only woman of colour. I will never forget that first meeting because it was so male-dominated and to an extent it still is. I have suffered/suffered misogynistic behaviour not just verbally but in writing, I regularly have someone mansplain and talk over me, and all it does is make me want to keep coming back because I will not allow us, as women, to be pushed or silenced.
For the community, I want more support and assurance that when any lesbophobic, transphobic, biphobic, interphobic, enbyphobic or acephobic hate crime takes place it is treated with the same urgency, diligence and respect all crime should be dealt with. These crimes aren’t bunched together as homophobic crimes and victim-survivors are seen as individuals and given the aftercare and support they should be. They are taken seriously and listened to, recorded correctly and not dismissed – they are shown the same respect and empathy every human being deserves.
Find out more about OUTSpoken speakers here: www.outspokenspeakers.com
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