Hi, I am Irene Muma, HR Business Partner by profession and founder of Black Working Mothers (BWM) network.

BWM was birthed during my maternity leave in 2021 as a platform to connect black mothers, provide coaching and guidance to women on their employment rights, build mothers’ confidence at work and raise awareness of the issues black women face in the workplace and how these can be addressed.

I was pregnant during the pandemic and whilst not only adjusting to being pregnant during such an unexplainable time, I also had to deal with and face many of the other pressing issues that were being highlighted and pushed to the forefront such as Black Lives Matter and Black Maternal Health. On top of all this, I was also very overwhelmed thinking about the additional barriers I was now going to face as a black working mother in full-time employment. I didn’t want other women like me, to feel like motherhood would somehow halt or put a strain on their careers and from this, BWM came to fruition.

Black Working Mothers Networks’ mission is to increase the representation of black women in organisations, especially in mid-senior positions, and empower women to address the challenges faced at work. I aim to use my lived and professional experience through BWM to advocate for women’s rights in the workplace, raise awareness of the barriers and challenges black women face in the workplace, and encourage organisations to be more aware and do more.