Why We Must Prioritise the Health of Ethnic Minority Women in England
1 in 4 women in England are from an ethnic minority background. Yet their health needs are often overlooked or misunderstood by mainstream health services.
At Nafsiyat, we know that mental and physical health are deeply interconnected – and both are shaped by inequality. A new report by The King’s Fund lays bare the health disparities facing women from ethnic minority groups in England and what needs to change.
What the data shows:
Women from South Asian and Black backgrounds are more likely to experience long-term conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, yet face more barriers in accessing care.
Infant mortality is twice as high in babies of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black ethnicity than White British babies.
Maternal mortality is three times higher in Black women and 1.5 times higher in Asian women compared to White women – a long-standing injustice that demands urgent action.
Language barriers, poor health literacy, and lack of culturally competent services often stop women from accessing support early or being heard when they do.
Mental health, menopause, and ageing are often discussed in ways that exclude the specific experiences and cultural needs of ethnic minority women.
Why this matters:
These disparities aren’t just clinical – they are structural. Racism, poverty, housing insecurity, and discrimination all take a toll on health. The systems meant to support wellbeing often reinforce harm.
As women age, their care needs become more complex. The number of ethnic minority women over 60 grew by 56% in the last decade. Our services must evolve with this shift.
What needs to change?
The report calls for:
Culturally competent care that is personalised and accessible – including interpretation services.
Better data collection to understand how health outcomes vary by ethnicity.
Targeted public health campaigns that consider cultural context and lived experience.
Partnerships with community organisations like Nafsiyat to reach women most impacted by inequality.
Investment in early intervention and prevention, especially in areas like pre-conception health and long-term condition management.
At Nafsiyat, this reinforces what we see every day:
That care must be culturally aware to be truly effective.
We believe that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity. By championing intercultural therapy, we aim to close the gap in mental health outcomes for racially marginalised communities – and to push for equity in all areas of health.