Diversity Network

The idea that disability inclusion benefits everyone is one of the themes of the artist Finnegan Shannon's work. Do You Want Us Here or Not is a series of benches and cushions designed for exhibition spaces with slogans reminding of the inaccessibility of many art galleries. Other work includes Anti-Stairs Club Lounge, an ongoing project that encourages other ways of moving around galleries and exhibition spaces - and which protested against architect Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel in New York, which was 154 flights high. The 'Don’t mind if I do' piece brings art to people rather than the other way around - artworks are shown on a conveyor belt where accessibility tools such as ear plugs are part of the exhibition. The work has been shown around the world, and can also be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/etqTFEcV

"Right-wing warriors can rail against diversity, equity and inclusion all they want. But the same so-called patriots who aggressively wrap themselves in the flag and claim America as their country cannot be blind to what is on display for all the world to see at the Paris Olympics," writes Michele Norris in The Washington Post who has summed up the USA's achievements at Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024. "Diversity is now a core part of America’s brand. In gymnastics and swimming. In fencing and rugby. In skateboarding, tennis, boxing, basketball and so much more. In commentary from Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav. In the massive billboards all over Paris from U.S.-based companies such as Nike and Ralph Lauren that feature brown-skinned models." Michele answers the pushback about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by saying: "You cannot cheer for the United States in this moment without also cheering on the diversity born of merit. And that is an important point because the ammunition used to instill fears about diversity in a changing America are based on the false notion that Black and Brown people are getting something they don’t deserve." To read the full story, see here: https://lnkd.in/eueVkCni #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork #Equality #BlackExcellence #BrownExcellence

"In essence, PMI’s DEI efforts are like hosting an ongoing Inclusion Festival." A great line from Diversity Network's latest article on inclusion at PMI. Couldn't agree more ⤵️

The World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap insight report shows just a .1 percentage point improvement from last year, to stand at 68.5 per cent in 2024. Some 146 countries were included, and the report says: "The lack of meaningful, widespread change since the last edition effectively slows down the rate of progress to attain parity. "Based on current data, it will take 134 years to reach full parity – roughly five generations beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target." Although no country has achieved full gender parity, 97 per cent of the economies included have closed more than 60 per cent of their gap, compared to 85 per cent in 2006. Iceland (93.5 per cent gap) is again ranked first and has been leading the index for 15 years. It is the only economy to have closed more than 90 per cent of its gender gap. Out of the remaining nine economies in the top 10, eight have closed over 80 per cent of their gap and European economies occupy seven spots out of the global top 10: Finland (2nd, 87.5 per cent), Norway (3rd, 87.5 per cent), Sweden (5th, 81.6 per cent), Germany (7th, 81 per cent), Ireland (9th, 80.2 per cent) and Spain (10th, 79.7 per cent). The remaining three rankings are occupied by economies from Eastern Asia and the Pacific (New Zealand, 4th, 83.5 per cent), Latin America and the Caribbean (Nicaragua, 6th, 81.1 per cent), and Sub-Saharan Africa (Namibia, 8th, 80.5 per cent). https://lnkd.in/eSdX2yBw #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork #GenderParity #GenderEquality

Want to influence what’s next for a more diverse and inclusive tech industry? Tech Talent Charter has created a two-minute survey, which it hopes will help to create a DEI roadmap for the tech industry.    The roadmap will be based on: - D&I challenges those in the tech industry are facing  - Areas for immediate attention  - Policy changes to drive real progress - People's vision for community initiatives that work You can take the survey here: https://lnkd.in/eqE5624H If you can’t access the survey or want to be more involved with the roadmap, please contact Karen Blake, Co-Chief Executive Officer at the Charter.   #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityInTech #InclusionInTech

#ThisIsMe is breaking down the stigma of talking about mental illness in the workplace through encouraging people to tell their own personal stories through online videos and events. The movement pioneered the wearing of green ribbons to open up the conversation about mental health at work as well as lighting up buildings such as the Bank of England in green in the City of London. Richard Martin is one of the original steering committee members and explained to Diversity Network how the campaign continues to change lives both in the UK and abroad. https://lnkd.in/erpCevxs https://lnkd.in/e84kJpQz https://lnkd.in/ehKjcEsj #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAtWork #ThisIsMe #Wellbeing #WellbeingAtWork

A blind Barbie doll and a black Barbie doll with Down syndrome have been released by Mattel, Inc. The toy manufacturer has worked with charities to ensure an accurate representation of disability. “By increasing representation and promoting awareness about the experiences of blind individuals and those with low vision, our shared goal is to inspire boundless opportunities for everyone, ultimately leading to a world of greater accessibility and inclusion,” said Eric Bridges, CEO and President, American Foundation for the Blind. “We are delighted to introduce these dolls in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind and National Down Syndrome Society to further our mission for every young girl to feel represented and celebrated through Barbie,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls. The blind doll comes with a white and red cane; the clothes she wears include a satiny pink blouse with a textured ruffle skirt for tactile interest and her clothes are easier to remove and put back on. Braille is used on the packaging and the doll's eyes are "facing up slightly and out to reflect the sometimes-distinct eye-gaze of a blind individual," says Mattel. A focus group of black individuals from the Down syndrome community helped develop the black Barbie with Down syndrome which has a shorter frame, longer torso and low muscle tone. Her palms have a single line. "Special care was put into the face sculpt," says the manufacturer. Barbie now comes in more than 175+ looks including a variety of skin tones, eye and hair colour and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions including dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or a prosthetic limb, a doll with hearing aids and a doll without hair. In 2023 Barbie won the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year award presented by The Toy Association. #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork

"I’m not the EDI police. I’m not going to drag people kicking and screaming – I’m here to help to bring everyone with us to create an inclusive environment," says four-time British Olympian Donna Fraser OBE OLY (she/her), currently the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director at The Professional Cricketers' Association. Donna, who was awarded an OBE recipient for her services to equality, diversity and inclusion, shares with Diversity Network her best-practice advice for setting out a cultural-change strategy. "We embed diversity, equity and inclusion in everything we do so everyone is treated equally and fairly.  "Allyship is vital for our work," says Donna. “As a director I am at board meetings but having an EDI champion on the board is essential to progress the work we do. "Collaboration is another way we are helping to challenge the status quo in cricket, and we are connecting with other organisations in the sport – and outside it. There’s strength in numbers. "I use data to really understand who our members are and gain insights using their personal data. It helps me know what changes need to be put in place. In terms of retention, we have begun holding ‘stay interviews’ not just exit interviews. We’ve found that if an issue is addressed early enough, people are less likely to leave their job. "All these things keep us accountable and 90 per cent of my job is education, both for members and for our people." Read Donna's full interview with Diversity Network here: https://lnkd.in/ezTrwqFt #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork

Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 will be the first Olympic Games to have an equal number of male and female medalists. "Sport has long been a male-dominated affair. Things are evolving, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover," says LAURA FLESSEL OLY, France’s sports minister and most famous female fencer, who competed in five Olympics and was a coach at her sixth consecutive games. "Paris 2024 will show a new image of women’s sport and female athletes. The image of women who are both mothers and champions," says Laura, whose first Olympics was in Atlanta 1996 and her last in Rio in 2016: in total she won two gold medals and three further medals in the épée events. Laura became France's Sports Minister in 2017 and was instrumental for France winning the bid to host the 2024 Games. "Many women still see sport as a purely curative activity. With the Games, they'll realise that it's much more than that. Paris 2024 will highlight female champions, but also coaches and referees." https://lnkd.in/ersfMgV9 #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork #GenderParity #Paris2024

Organsiations in Costa Rica and Switzerland predict a hiring expectation of 35 per cent and 34 per cent respectively for the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a new report which looks at global hiring expectations for July to September this year. The latest edition of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey looks at seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlooks for the third quarter across the world. In the UK, where the figure is 20 per cent, the broader trend is that "larger companies are cautiously returning to hire at volume once again after the retrenchment and redundancy rounds seen over recent months, with hiring concentrated on entry-level, non-management and supervisory roles," quotes the report. The main reason for increased hiring is organisational growth along with keeping pace with technological advancements, enhancing diversity, and expanding into new areas. Just over half (51 per cent) of companies have adopted AI for recruitment, an increase of 18 per cent year-over-year. Other results from the survey include employers have found that flexibility in work hours and emphasising wellbeing are the two most effective means of boosting engagement and productivity amongst workers who have joined the workforce in the last 10 years. The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the longest running employment survey in the world, used as a key economic indicator by the Bank of England and UK government. https://lnkd.in/euwwmG_5 #Diversity #Inclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #InclusionAndDiversity #DiversityNetwork #Recruitment