#MyNameIs campaign - part of Race Equality Week

#MyNameIs is a solutions-focused campaign which encourages the use of phonetic spellings on email signatures and name badges.

In a recent poll 73% of respondents from more than 100 organisations said they had their names mispronounced. Often, if someone has a name that others find difficult to pronounce, we will:

• Pronounce the name incorrectly - then the individual is known by the ‘new name’.
• Give a nickname, whether the individual likes it or not.
• Use an alternative name ‘to make things easier’, i.e. Jeff instead of Abdullah.
• Avoid calling them by name altogether.

A phonetic name spelling campaign could help tackle race inequality. Race Equality Matters #MyNameIs, is a simple but highly impactful solution to ensure everyone pronounces people’s names correctly.

Here’s what you can do

• Add a phonetic pronunciation of your name to your email signature - follow the instructions and add #MyNameIs / #FyEnwYw + the phonetic spelling. Find your phonetic name using the #MyNameIs digital tool.
• Check you are saying other people’s names correctly and encourage colleagues, employees, and your networks to do the same.
• As part of the campaign, we will also be displaying and sharing the assets on the Council’s social media channels.

Contact hawdavies@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk if you have trouble changing your email signature.