From Words to Action – Equity In Practice

This week's newsletter is a repost of an article written by Astrid Rønning Skaugseth. She writes about the importance of not just talking about making a change, but learning actionable practices that immediately can be utilised to promote social equity!

From Words to Action – Equity In Practice

We have come a long way with regard to focusing on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Companies are to some extent being guided by legislation and reporting while there is a general increase in both external and internal expectations of transparency, sustainability, and DE&I strategies.  

This approach to diversity, particularly in terms of inclusion, is made complicated due to the fact that it is hard to obtain good quantitative data.

There are a multitude of ways to measure diversity within a company, especially in regard to gender balance, but diversity cannot be maintained without true inclusion.  

We have to challenge our own perspectives, not be afraid to initiate difficult and uncomfortable conversations, listen to those who are marginalised, and implement immediate changes.  

Measurements, discussions, and dialogues are only the first step – we then have to act! 

Taking the Next Step 

The increased societal pressure to implement practices that focus on diversity and inclusion is due to the great social injustices made both in the business world and society as a whole.  

While there have always been outspoken individuals whom have had to carry the burden of having to share their negative experiences and fight for change, there has been a notable and necessary shift in expectations.

It is important to uplift these voices while providing support, while not being afraid of speaking out about injustices that does not directly affect ourselves. 

Those of us in leadership and management positions who have not faced many of these challenges have to play our part in using our position to create truly inclusive spaces where everyone can flourish and reach their full potential, regardless of their background, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, and ability! 

Empowering People to Act 

SHE Community was created to close the gender gap – the conference has always been a space to facilitate discussions, share knowledge, and take immediate action based on the knowledge, experiences, and skills shared.  

As we have continued broadening our scope and adopted the acronym Social — Human — Equity, we stand firm in the belief that greater inclusion in all corporate sectors can play a major part in creating a fair and socially sustainable society.  

Together we can keep creating powerful and innovative solutions to decrease social injustice and the capital gap. As we have an increased incentive and opportunity to measure the state of equity within companies both true legislation and mandated reporting, tools such as the SHE Index highlight the importance of offering concrete actions based on this data.  

These actions then have to be taken – diversity and inclusion must be embedded in management, organizational culture, and policy-making. It is vital that we all go out of our way to learn actionable practices AND implement them immediately. 

We must not become too rigid when we speak of social equity, because we can quickly become too wrapped up in the idealism of the concept, while forgetting how simple it is to put it into practice in small and big ways. 

We cannot just talk about the importance of making a change – we have to empower people to act! 

This mindset is the framework of the SHE Conference; we aim to provide you with the best actionable practices and tools to lift the level inclusivity in your organisation. Visit our conference website for more information about this year's themes and speakers.