![]() ![]() Fatima further explains, “often times organizations are checking the box and saying we have a diverse racial/ethnic group, but they do not understand why their diverse staff is unhappy or unable to complete their tasks. As Fatima states, “Some organizations are really at that step of diversity,” however “ diversity is not going to meet equity or inclusion.” Diversifying the workforce is important, but that doesn’t directly lead to those new hires feeling welcomed or supported in the organization. Because racial, ethnic, and/or gender diversity can sometimes (but not always) be determined by visually scanning an organization, organizations may feel it is the easiest to measure and the easiest to tackle. When Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are boiled down to DE&I, diversity often becomes the focus. Goal setting is an important aspect of DE&I work, but diversity, equity, and inclusion each require different methods of intervention, different resources, and different tools for measurement. Now that we know the differences in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we can see why it is harmful to equate the three with one another. Why is it unhelpful to boil it all down to simply DE&I? Inclusion is measured through qualifiable data, looking at attitudes and people’s perceptions of how welcoming an organization. YW Boston often uses inclusion strategist Vernã Myers’ analogy: “Diversity is being invited to the party inclusion is being asked to dance.” In addition, diversity is often thought of as being quantifiable by measuring who is represented in an institution. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.” Inclusion goes beyond diversity, because once you have a diverse staff, organizations must focus on retention. Inclusion is “the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. ![]() ![]() Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources.” Fatima emphasized that equity is centered on fair treatment, such as any group of individuals’ “access, opportunities for advancement, and feeling like they are growing in the organization.” As Fatima puts it, diversity is often boiled down to a people’s perception when they walk into a room and say, “people look different.”Įquity is “the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. It also takes intersectional diversity into account, when people’s identity is made of a number of underrepresented identities. What is diversity? What is equity? What is inclusion?īoiled down simply, Independent Sector does a great job of explaining the definitions of each of these terms:ĭiversity “includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another,” including identity markers such as race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and more. To provide experiential context, Fatima Dainkeh, YW Boston’s Senior Coordinator of Dialogues, helps explain how YW Boston’s Dialogues on Race and Ethnicity program approaches Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this blog post, you’ll learn about them as individual concepts and how they fit together. To help get you started, we’ve broken down the individual parts: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Part of the barrier to getting started building a DE&I strategy is not knowing the difference between these three concepts, and therefore how to address each. Additionally, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is referred to as DE&I so often that many individuals don’t know what each letter refers to. As a whole, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts seek to create meaningful, systemic change toward more equitable environments.ĭiversity, Equity, and Inclusion can include any number of interventions, and therefore can feel daunting. This can mean working to ensure your upper management is not fully comprised of white men or implementing mentorship opportunities for young professionals of color in your workplace. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DE&I as it is commonly referred, is a phrase that broadly outlines the efforts an institution takes to create a more welcoming environment for people of less-privileged identities. ![]()
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