Monday marked the start of yet another National Inclusion Event; National Inclusion Week. A week where employers are expected to encourage, organise and participate in “Inclusion Events”. If you search ‘How to participate in National Inclusion Week’ you will find suggestions such as;
But how? And then what?
A day, a week or a month to celebrate or discuss …. Is at best, a surface level attempt to be or look inclusive. How much can you really achieve in this time frame? What difference can you actually make and why do some topics have a month dedicated to discussions and events whilst others only a day?
It is also worth noting that a lot of the companies that have been criticised for their lack of commitment, progress and investment in EDI [here, here and here], will be the same ones that are quick to jump on the bandwagon to post or arrange national inclusion week events. It is a crying shame that we’ve ended up with a default position where a lot of companies would rather be seen to be doing the work, than actually taking the time to do the work.
If we look at June (Pride Month), recognised globally as a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, we often see examples of performative activism. It's easy to feel pressure to acknowledge these large-scale events and fall into the trap of joining only the most visible celebrations. In doing so, we risk losing sight of the original purpose behind these events, days, and months, turning them into opportunities for self-promotion rather than meaningful support and long term progress.
In 1969, police harassment and discrimination at a gay club in Greenwich Village sparked mass protests for LGBTQIA+ rights, leading to the first U.S. gay pride march one year later. Fifty-four years on, Pride parades remain vibrant and meaningful global celebrations, but June now often centres around partying and colourful displays. While these events bring people together, how much do we truly understand about the ongoing discrimination and challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face?
We’ve all heard of and seen the Pride celebrations, but did you know there is a month dedicated to understanding South Asian history, culture and communities in the UK, or days to understand Autism, Bipolar and people with other disabilities?
Some celebrations draw more attention, last longer, or attract more widespread participation, but the length of time is irrelevant if, during these days, weeks, or months, we only focus on opportunities for self promotion and fail to take time to understand current issues. Whilst understanding is essential, the real work needs to focus on identifying and removing barriers, which provides an opportunity in future years to reflect on the actions and progress that have been achieved. At best, the focus on fun, food and flags leads to surface level or performative acts of pseudo allyship. But once the fun has been had, the food has been digested and the flags have been packed away, the question remains, what now?
We believe that regardless of where you are in your EDI journey everyone has to start somewhere;
If you’re interested in moving beyond simple awareness days and superficial celebrations - get in touch today to explore how we could help make your EDI work meaningful, measurable, significant and sustainable.
