Equality Council

The equality council is elected at Delegate Meeting, from nominations from NUJ branches, and includes representatives from the industrial councils and Irish, Welsh and Scottish executive councils. It is the NUJ's forum for all matters relating to: sexism, equal pay; LGBT+ rights; age discrimination; work/life balance and childcare/dependant care. The council’s remit includes campaigning for the rights and welfare of young and early career members aged 30 and under.

The council’s joint chairs are Cristina Lago and Raj Ford. The vice-chair is Sarah Lewis.

Cristina Lago is a London-based journalist working on magazines. She was first elected to the Equality Council at DM 2021. Cristina is keen to use her voice at the council to advance LGBTQ+ rights and make the NUJ a welcoming union to the next generation of media workers. She is also behind pay transparency initiatives to help close the gender, disability and ethnic pay gaps. She is vice-chair of the London Magazine Branch. The council works with the Disabled Members’ Council, Black Members’ Council and 60+ Council, as well as the Ethics Council, to address intersectional issues and offer a joint approach to equality."

Raj Sangha Ford is a NUJ secondee at the BBC.

Following Delegate Meeting 2023, the council’s work plan includes campaigns on pay transparency in job adverts, the pay gender gap, equal pay and starting salaries in the industry. We will continue to combat harassment and abuse online and otherwise, and raise awareness of violence against women. Our motion at the TUC’s LGBT+ conference backed the NUJ’s Ethics Council’s work on guidance for journalists and content creators to prevent misinformation and transphobia. We will be looking at the impact of AI on equality.

  • We have an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion network.  If you would like to join and receive news about our work and training, email: [email protected]
  • We always play an active role at the TUC Women’s Conferences and TUC LGBT+ Workers' Conferences.
  • We organise around key equality dates such as International Women’s Day, White Ribbon Day and International Transgender Day.
  • There is also the LBGT+ network, which holds online events to provide an opportunity for members to call on each other for advice, forge friendships and alliances and propose collective action. Remember to update your personal profile on the website (or email membership@nuj,org.uk) to receive invitations.

To get involved in the work of the council or to help campaign for equality, contact the NUJ's equality officer, via email: [email protected]

Equality Council members & contact 

To get involved in the work of the council or to help campaign for equality, contact the NUJ's equality officer, via email: [email protected].