Global Ethnic Majority (GEM)
Did you know: We have stopped using the Term BAME and started using GEM (Global Ethnic Majority)
Why the change? The Union ran consultations with students and found this to be the most popular umbrella term that represents their communities.
What will change?
- The BAME Officer will now be called the GEM Officer.
- We will host GEM Meet and Greets.
- Internally BAME will be replaced with GEM when talking about students.
Why Majority not Minority? Did you know 85% of the world population are part of the Global Ethnic Majority.
What is GEM?
Undeb Aber is After conversations with a few students who identify as BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic), the Undeb brought forward the Senedd idea to discontinue the term BAME in the Union and trial the term GEM (Global Ethnic Majority). “Global Majority generally refers to people who are "black, Asian, brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities'" and "represent approximately 80% of the world's population", according to educator and activist Rosemary Campbell-Stephens, who coined the term.” (BBC article) Global Ethnic Majority refers to the same concept with more emphasis on the fact that it is a term representing different minority ethnic backgrounds. We acknowledge that this is not a perfect term, but it is a positive step to furthering the conversation around ethnicity within Undeb Aber.
What’s wrong with ‘BAME’?
From a government perspective, the terms BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) and BME (Black and minority ethnic) are no longer used because they emphasise certain ethnic minority groups (Asian and Black) and exclude others (Mixed, Other and White ethnic minority groups). The terms can also mask disparities between different ethnic groups and create misleading interpretations of data.
In March 2021, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities recommended that the government stop using the term BAME. One of the recommendations in the final report on COVID-19 disparities, published in December 2021, was to refer to ethnic minority groups individually, rather than as a single group. This was supported by research commissioned by the Race Disparity Unit (RDU), which found that people from ethnic minorities were 3 times more likely to agree than disagree that the term ‘BAME’ was unhelpful.
What are the other options?
Prior to the 2026 Senedd meeting, where policies are discussed by Senedd representatives, we had had consultations with students from the BAME community. We hosted house meetings and 1-2-1s with students to understand some of the positions and thoughts around the terminology referring to students and staff of colour in the Undeb. After further research and conversations with internal staff, the Trustee Board and other institutions, proposed alternatives were Global Majority, Global Ethnic Majority, Ethnic Minorities and Racialised. Universities have different names for their ‘BAME’ officers, and it is important to highlight that the context and identity of an institution differ across the board. There is no ‘quick fix’ or one-size-fits-all for this as each student union will have its own mission and set of values. Ultimately, when talking about the lived experiences of very different and diverse groups of people, there is a lot to accommodate, and a term does not dismiss or fully define the real stories of the people represented within the term. Students may be part of minority ethnic groups, but they are human beings with histories, backgrounds, ancestry, stories and individual identities that they should define for themselves regardless of any existing umbrella term.
Why GEM?
The idea to change BAME to GEM in Senedd was not brought forward on a whim. Students were at the heart of this idea because the Undeb wants students to have an epic student journey and to be happy, healthy and empowered. Part of empowering students is ensuring that they can tell their story and not conform to the limitations of their lived experiences. It is also important to recognise the hardships and inequalities faced by people who identify as ‘BAME’. However, while grappling with hardships such as racism, colourism, microaggressions and unconscious bias, there is still room to exist through an empowered lens and celebrate the beauty of different lived experiences without excluding or isolation one group over the other. No one’s story is more significant than the other, but the reality is some ethnic minority groups such as black and brown students and staff have additional hurdles to navigate in society. However, this does not mean that other ethnic minorities should be put in one box to figure out whether they are ‘BAME’ enough or not. The most popular option was GEM as it reflects the strengths and diversity of students of all minority ethnic backgrounds without excluding others as the term BAME does. The idea is to shift to a sense of empowerment, allowing different minority ethnic groups to tell their own individual stories. Whether it’s through advocating to improve the experience of black students or ensuring that students of mixed ethnicities feel a deeper sense of belonging, we want everyone to feel heard.
In the context of Aber, a smaller town which is becoming increasingly multicultural, the term ‘Global Majority’ does not indicate that it is related to students of varied minority ethnic and non-white backgrounds, unless someone is already familiar with the conversation around racialised identity and ethnicity. Taking after the model used at Goldsmiths, University of London and University of Keele, GEM seemed to be popular.
Some students were on the fence about the term ‘GEM’ which is understandable as it is not a perfect term. There is always space for a wider conversation around ethnicity. Therefore, if students feel this is a term that needs to be revisited/changed in future, they can speak to the GEM officer or directly with the Student Voice Department. The Undeb wants to be a positive influence for students, and we feel this change from ‘BAME’ to ‘GEM’ reflects that. This will not affect any eligibility for or access to any grants for ‘BAME’ students and any initiatives for ‘BAME’ students will still be communicated to the Undeb. It is just a name change for the Undeb, but the principle to support students of different ethnic backgrounds remains the same.
"During my time as BAME Officer at Aberystwyth University Students' Union, I had the privilege of representing students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, advocating for inclusivity and representation within the university community. As the last officer under the BAME title, I am proud to have been part of this transition towards a more empowering and accurate representation of our community. The renaming to GEM Global Ethnic Majority reflects a positive shift in language, moving away from defining our identities by minority status and instead celebrating the fact that we represent the global majority. I hope this change empowers future officers and students to engage with the role with renewed pride and confidence." - Priyanka , (current) BAME Students Officer