12. Race, Migration and the Hostile Environment

Talat Yaqoob FRSE is an award-winning campaigner, writer, and consultant who has worked on systems and policy change on a range of issues including women’s rights, migrant’s rights, anti-poverty, anti-racism and intersectionality.
 
She was previously the director of a national organisation focused on women’s equality in the workplace. She has a background in social research, training and development, campaign strategy and public participation in policy and democratic transformation. She is the founder of Pass the Mic, a national programme to tackle under-representation and misrepresentation of women of colour in media and influencing.
 
In 2014, she co-founded the cross-party campaign group Women 50:50, advocating for fair representation of women across politics. In 2019 she was presented with the “outstanding women of Scotland” award, and in 2021 she was appointed co-chair of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. She is a media commentator on political and social issues, and has been a board member and chair for a number of charities focused on equality and international development.

Jen Ang is Founding Director of Lawmanity, a project that aims to tackle inequalities in the law by working with people-led movements to secure positive change. Jen is an experienced human rights lawyer qualified to practise in Scotland, England and Wales, and New York State. She is a legal expert on asylum, human rights and children’s rights, and on the rights of survivors of torture. She is also a Professor in Practice at the GO Justice Centre, School of Law, University of Glasgow, and believes in making legal education open and accessible to all.

 

Fatma Elaraby is an Administrative Officer at Maryhill Integration Network, where she is responsible for day-to-day administration and welcoming people to the organisation. She joined the staff team in 2023. Fatma is also a human rights activist, advocating for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, particularly the right to work. She is a member of Glasgow West Amnesty Group and volunteers with MIN Voices Group and JustRight Scotland. She also serves as a trustee of Asylum Matters, contributing to work supporting people seeking asylum across the UK.