A campaigner who has worked tirelessly to promote social justice and inclusion for minority groups has said she is “humbled” to receive an honorary degree from Keele University.

Pragna Patel was made an honorary Doctor of Letters at this week’s graduation ceremonies, in honour of her outstanding contribution to women’s rights, social justice and secularism.

Ms Patel said: “I am overjoyed, and very delighted to have received this. I feel very humbled to have been conferred this honour, although I really did not expect it when I started out in my career.

“The recognition that I have received for this work, which is a collective endeavour with my colleagues and friends around me, is really validating because it makes us realise that it is possible to have values that you can act upon that are appreciated and recognised, and by many who share the same values.”

As a founding member of the non-governmental organisation Southall Black Sisters, Ms Patel has worked to support black and minority women to assert their fundamental rights
and freedoms in the face of injustice and inequality.

She has 38 years of experience of working to tackle violence against women in black and minority communities and has been at the forefront of key case and campaigning milestones in the history of black and minority women’s struggles for justice in the UK. She is also a founding member of Women Against Fundamentalism.

But she said that anyone can have an impact on social change, adding: “Stand by your beliefs, stand by your gut instincts. Be fearless, but learn from others.

“There is no magic bullet for this work, it does not take a great amount of educational achievement, but what it takes is belief in yourself, belief in your values, persistence and determination.

“We are all capable of making a difference, we are all capable of transforming society, and sometimes you do not realise but it is the little steps you have taken which can lead to significant outcomes.”