Deepthi de Silva-Williams, Head of Brand at the University of Edinburgh, serves as Co-Chair of CASE Multi-Cultural Network.

"I have been in Edinburgh for over 20 years and have been a passionate advocate of equal rights for women all of my life. As a result, I have achieved in Edinburgh a yearly Woman’s Day lecture in March to an ongoing photographic exhibition and collection of both academic and professional services women. I also ensure there is always a gender balance in all marketing and recruitment materials.

I am also passionate about equality for people like myself, an ethnic minority in the UK. I want us to help and support each other. I believe we can do this on a number of levels. If I may, I’d like to bullet point my lived experience as I think it will be self-evident as to my interest and desire to seek equality or, at the very least, raise its profile.

• I studied here as an international student
• I am married to a white English man who now lives in Scotland
• I am an immigrant
• I have two boys who are obviously mixed race
• I was born in Singapore & grew up there, but my parents were from Sri Lanka and were immigrants in Singapore. We were always classed as ‘others’
• My in-laws & their families come from a long line of people who belonged to the days of the Empire and colonial times
• Worked in Edinburgh’s Race & Equality office as a volunteer then admin support before working at the University"