Why is Everyone Talking About Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?
(And How Can Businesses Benefit From It)
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is a concept that has become increasingly prominent in recent years - and it's now a core consideration for both our personal lives and professional environments. But why?
How has this concept evolved to its current prominence? What are the underlying motivations? And why should businesses and organisations prioritise understanding these principles? These are the fundamental questions we aim to address in this blog.
A Summary of the Background
The rise of EDI in the UK is driven by historical events, social change, and legal frameworks. Its foundation was established by decades marked by committed struggles for equality, pioneered by movements such as women's suffrage and campaigns for racial justice, disability awareness and LGBTQ+ rights.
Concurrently, waves of immigration from diverse countries challenged the notion of a homogenous society; and at the same time, the advent of globalisation highlighted the economic benefits of a diverse workforce when navigating international markets.
This evolving landscape prompted significant legal milestones. The Equality Act 2010 stands as a cornerstone, consolidating previous anti-discrimination laws and safeguarding individuals against bias rooted in nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Today, we are witnessing how the ongoing efforts by diverse communities worldwide have helped us identify areas for improvement and understand the inequalities many have faced.
The Corporate Impact
These historical and social transformations were not isolated events. Younger generations, characterised by progressive perspectives on diversity, have compelled institutions to evolve and embrace EDI principles.
Simultaneously, the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved. Consumers and investors prioritise businesses that exhibit a dedication to social responsibility, which now includes actively promoting diversity and inclusion.
Identifying the Problem
Now more than ever, understanding how EDI affects businesses is key to their overall growth and success. However, this framework has recently come under criticism for its lack of effectiveness in structurally embedding an inclusive organisational culture, with many corporations offering one-off, obligatory, ‘tick-box’ Diversity Training to their employees.
In our experience as EDI training providers, we've observed that the issue stems from a lack of leadership involvement in organisations and/or a perception of EDI as a legal obligation rather than a strategic driver of success.
We've identified 5 key reasons why effectively implementing EDI is a game-changer for UK businesses seeking to maintain an outstanding reputation in today's landscape. Importantly, businesses should recognise that EDI is an indispensable skill set that employees require in their professional environment to work more effectively feeling comfortable among co-workers.
What are People Fighting For and What is the Aim of EDI Training?
Generally speaking, underrepresented communities and their allies seek social justice, equal opportunities and inclusive environments in which they feel comfortable being themselves and are supported by the systems around them.
Both direct and indirect forms of discrimination still happen in the UK, and this is the reason why activism arises to create awareness of the challenges that marginalised groups face – and ultimately lower the risk of individuals being affected by any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
EDI training for organisations seeks to educate employees on the background of EDI, impart best practices in both personal and professional settings, and recognise the underlying challenges that people all around them are still facing. It’s a way of encouraging individuals to be more emphatic, how to identify discrimination when it occurs, and how to be the best version of themselves no matter who they are engaging with.
How We Can Help
With over 25 years of experience engaging with diverse communities, the Vandu Training team comprises trainers and directors who bring a firsthand understanding of minority backgrounds.
We specialise in delivering positively disruptive EDI training and consultancy services aimed at driving tangible change for businesses and communities across the UK.
At Vandu, we adopt a facilitative and dynamic approach to learning, ensuring each course is tailored to meet the specific needs of participants. In our interactive training sessions, learners actively engage with the concepts and apply them to real-world scenarios in their workplaces. We then follow up our sessions to ensure inclusion is being embedded in the organisations we work with.
To explore our range of training offerings, visit https://www.vandutraining.com/courses. We also provide consultancy services covering a diverse array of topics: https://www.vandutraining.com/consultancy.
Thank you for your interest!