In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 will be remembered as the year when issues around equality became supercharged. As COVID-19 spread around the world, commentators increasingly noted the social disparities the pandemic was revealing.

Key workers – those responsible for keeping the economy running while the authorities were facing down the virus ­– are overwhelmingly from lower-income households. People from ethnic minority backgrounds reportedly faced a greater health risk from the disease. Women and minorities have suffered more severe economic hardships as countries shielded themselves and shut down. While much attention has gone to the US, this state of affairs is not specific to the country.

The UK Office for National Statistics found that mortality rates for black and other minority ethnic (Bame) groups are up to four times higher than those of white Britons. Geographic and socioeconomic factors accounted for more than half the difference in risk between black and white ethnicities. Racial injustice was also thrust into the spotlight. As the Black Lives Matter and I Can’t Breathe protests spread to cities worldwide after George Floyd’s death, companies in numerous sectors pledged or reaffirmed action to boost corporate diversity. Pressure subsequently mounted on companies to disclose more regarding the ethnic make-up of boards of directors.

All this has merely brought equality issues that already existed to the fore. There is a moral imperative to address these problems. Some studies point to the financial benefits of taking action, with research indicating that unequal societies act as a barrier to economic growth. Not investing in social mobility can hamper both economic and social returns.

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