The founder of the Women of Colour in Policing (WoCip) group has reflected on South Wales Police’s first-ever official celebrations for South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) held over recent weeks.
After joining the Force eight years ago, DS Krishna Chauhan established the WoCip group in 2022 to make female officers from various ethnic and faith backgrounds feel represented in the police.
Working closely with the Force’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) team, the initiative was kicked off with the launch of an inclusion calendar, which has since brought together officers and staff in recognition of religious festivals such as Diwali and Vaisakhi.
And the latest observance to be marked within this movement has been SAHM, which is held annually from 18 July to 17 August to celebrate the heritage of people with roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
From left to right: Lorinda Norris, SWP Black Police Association co-chair Sunita Sood, WoCip treasurer Sarah Garland, WoCip intern Safia Al-Sayed, Krishna Chauhan
“It was a wonderful month, and one I am proud to say we have brought to the Force for the first time. Lorinda Norris, who is the EDI programme manager and WoCip co-vice chair, oversaw the project from start and to finish, and she has done a terrific job,” Krishna explained.
“Our celebrations centred around a film event in the Police Learning Centre at Force HQ, where we screened Bollywood Queen – a British Indian take on Romeo and Juliet.
“This was supported and licenced by our police sports and social club, PSSW, and was open to officers, staff and their friends and families, as well as our wider communities.
“For us, it’s so important we have both internal and external inclusion at our events and celebrations, because as much as we did it for officers and staff, it was also so the public know we [people of South Asian heritage] are visible in policing.
Minority background
“It’s all about being seen – whoever that’s by – for the difference we make in society as people who belong to a minority background.”
Guests at the film screening were also treated to South Asian food funded by the Christian Police Association (CPA), temporary henna body art – customarily used in South Asian cultures – and an in-depth insight into how people with South Asian roots have contributed to policing, captured in a speech from Krishna herself.
Beyond this evening, ongoing commemorations throughout the month came in the shape of regular content on Force intranet, with an educational ‘Heritage Fact Series’ shared alongside traditional recipes from the cuisines of all eight SAHM countries.
Also featuring on the intranet was an article for the Force’s ‘Humans of SWP’ initiative, which involved reflections from South Asian officers and staff on topics such as cultural identity, professional pride and breaking barriers in the police.
“The article was a beautiful piece of work to be involved in – it was great to give a few colleagues the opportunity to pause and take a real deep dive into their personal backgrounds and stories,” Krishna added.
Heritage
“But it’s not just about heritage – it’s about a sense of belonging, recognising the journeys that brought us here and the routes we continue to shape together.
“One colleague said to me, ‘sharing my culture at work reminds me I belong here’, and I think that perfectly summarises what we are trying to do here.”
As the WoCiP group now turns its attention to commemorating Diwali in October, practicing Hindu Krishna expressed her gratitude for another successful celebration and the overall growth of her initiative so far.
“In addition to Lorinda, I would also like to thank Alex Chadd and Clive Richards of PSSW, CPA chair Helen Freeman and the Force as a whole for supporting WoCiP and helping to make these events happen.
“When I joined the police in 1999, there were not many other Asian women and I was very much in the minority, so I wanted to prove people who look like me can make a difference in this job.
“To now see and help others do the same and feel like they belong here is a dream come true, to be honest.”
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