Retrieving the Missing 'I' in DE&I.
Smita Das Jain |
TEDxFIIB
• April 2022
"Diversity is the buzzword in the corporate world, with several companies having diversity hiring mandates to ensure fair representation of minority groups, especially women, in their workforce. Yet, all the diversity initiatives are not leading to inclusion, with the progressively declining female participation in the organisational hierarchy. Even when a company has equal males and females in its entry ranks, women constitute a mere 20% of its C-suite executives
1. 50% of Indian women drop out of employment between junior and mid-levels
2. For every 100 men promoted to manager, there are only 72 women
3. The reason for this ‘broken bottom rung’ is microaggressions—the covert biases and behavior at work. 64% of women experience microaggressions at work
4, making them feel less included.
Organisations need to uncouple Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and undertake concerted communications and training to counter microaggressions. But top-down approaches will have limited impact given the issue is not systemic in nature. Every individual has the power to counter microaggressions through micro affirmations—the little ways to make someone feel valued.
Consistent practice of five micro affirmations—Know, Mirror, Acknowledge, Encourage and Amplify—will lead to a more inclusive workplace culture where expectations and professionalism are not gender-linked.
Sources:
1. Achieving Gender Balance at All Levels of Your Company, Harvard Business Review, Nov 2021
2. Catalyst First Step: India Overview Tool, Business Today, October 2016
3. Women in the Workplace, McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org, November 2019
4. Women in the Workplace, McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org, November 2019
Title Note:
DE&I stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a common acronym for corporate policies, compliance obligations and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations in the workplace.
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