Diversity in Liverpool

Mayor Steve Rotherham has said he is ‘fiercely committed’ to protecting diversity, standing by the LCR Pride celebrations, and explaining his devotion to continuing the acceptance of diversity in the city region.

Liverpool is one of Britain’s most multicultural cities and homes to Britain’s oldest African community, Europe’s largest Chinese community and one of the country’s earliest mosques. Liverpool has celebrated this and looked toward creating a safe environment for all.

The city region is also home to a large annual Pride celebration parade, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community within the city. Rotherham has previously stated that Pride embodies the best of the city region and showcases the diverse, vibrant community from every walk of life.

“We see our diversity as one of our greatest strengths and celebrate the right of our people to live safely, happily and in any way they choose. I feel incredibly fortunate to represent the 1.6 million people who call this place ‘home’ and I’m committed to fiercely protecting their diversity in all its forms.”

The importance of combatting discrimination whilst promoting diversity has a top priority in the region. Following the race declaration of intent earlier in 2022, the Combined Authority has announced its biggest investment in tackling racial inequality by committing £3.2 million, establishing a Race Equality Hub aiming to removing barriers in the labour market. This will work alongside race equality training for22,000 Local Authority and Combined Authority staff.

“Events around the world over past few years have shown that there is still a long way to go in the fight against discrimination and injustice. I think it’s more important than ever for us to remember that despite some progress – we still have work to do.”

Also, on the agenda is supporting the regions women. On International Women’s Day 2022, Mayors Joanna Anderson and Steve Rotherham backed a commitment to achieving a greater gender equality. The intent has already been set in motion with events promoting women in leadership, women-led projects and investment in industries proven to drive economic growth such as care, hospitality and culture.

The idea for battling discrimination is ultimately to provide residents and outside groups a city where they can feel safe, represented and provided with equal opportunities as everyone else and pushes Liverpool further on to becoming the innovation leader it aims to be.

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