Saffron Walden’s MP, Kemi Badenoch, made history on Saturday (2 November) when she was elected the first black leader of a major UK party: the Conservative Party.
In what the BBC described as “the closest Tory leadership race of recent times”, Badenoch secured the leadership position by 12,418 votes, and is the fourth woman to lead the Conservatives.
“It’s inspiring to see the UK’s opposition led by a black woman – a historic step that redefines who can hold power at the highest levels,” said Aggie Yemurai Mutuma, CEO of the Mahogany Inclusion Partners consultancy, in conversation with HR magazine. “This moment sets a powerful precedent, not only symbolically but in terms of what it signals to future generations about whether they can see themselves in spaces of influence.”
What steps should employers take to increase black, brown and non-white female representation?
First, build structural support networks, rather than just appointing a mentor, advised Shereen Daniels, managing director of the advisory firm HR Rewired.
Speaking to HR magazine, Daniels said: “Traditional mentorship programmes are important, but they fall short when black women are placed in high-stakes, high-risk roles, especially within organisations where senior leadership is predominantly white.
“Structural support networks – including sponsors, advocates, and peer allies – are essential to actively promoting black women’s ideas, challenging bias, and supporting them in navigating complex boardroom dynamics.”
Read more: HR must support black and minority staff to report racism
Daniels continued: “Consistent, robust support networks shift the burden from individual resilience to collective accountability, ensuring that black women are not left to address structural barriers alone.”
Mutuma agreed that supported pathways are crucial for supporting black, brown and non-white talent. She added: “It’s essential to create clear, equitable pathways that don’t just open doors but actively encourage black talent to step through them.”
In consultant Nadia Nagamootoo’s view, mentoring and sponsorship programmes can be particularly effective for organisations that have a leaky pipeline of talent. Expanding on the kinds of support that can help support black, brown and non-white women, she told HR magazine: “If the organisation doesn’t already have a race network or employee resource group, this is a valuable step forward and creates a community where racial minority employees can feel safe to share and empowered to inform the change they want to see, although it’s important that there are leaders who are willing to listen.
“It would also be wise to examine organisational processes and policies, to see if there is a way bias could creep into decision-making – there almost always is! – and minimise this through redesign.”
Minimising bias often involves an awareness of privilege, which isn’t easy to spot, as Nagamootoo makes clear: “When it comes to most marginalised groups, inequity is often intangible and invisible. It isn’t easy to measure how much advantage someone with majority characteristics has over people from underrepresented groups, e.g. someone of a white background compared with someone of a black background.”
Her suggested solution for employers is to adopt a genuine and authentic approach to inclusion that builds trust and psychological safety, and for leaders to be open and prepared to hear different and challenging experiences.
Read more: The importance of HR initiatives in supporting women in leadership
Setting clear, collaborative success metrics is also key to supporting black, brown and non-white talent, according to Daniels, who stated: “Too often, black women in senior leadership roles are tasked with challenging projects defined by vague, high-stakes expectations and insufficient resources. To counter this, organisations must establish clear, collaboratively developed success metrics with black women leaders, ensuring that criteria for success are fair, attainable and transparent.
“This process includes setting realistic goals, assessing risks together, and aligning resources openly with expected outcomes. Such an approach reduces the ambiguity that can lead to ‘glass cliff’ situations, where women are promoted into precarious roles only to face isolation or exclusion if outcomes fall short or if their high performance triggers discomfort among peers. Collaborative success metrics foster a transparent, supportive environment that prioritises sustainable success over deliberately isolated responsibility.”
Ultimately, “organisations need to lead beyond discomfort, owning gaps in racial representation and being transparent about what could be better,” said Nagamootoo. “This means brave, vulnerable and humble leadership. How leaders react and respond is key to any cultural shift and for black talent to feel like not only is it possible for them to progress, but, if they do, they will be welcomed and have an equal voice.”
