Workplace equity is the concept of providing fair opportunities for staff based on their individual needs.
Workplace diversity is about hiring and supporting a wide range of individuals (race, gender, caste, class, sexuality, ability, language, etc.) in the workplace.
Workplace inclusion is about ensuring people with disparate backgrounds and diverse viewpoints have their contributions, presence, and perspectives valued and integrated within the workplace.
These three ideas can be complicated to demonstrate in the workplace because what constitutes representative, inclusive, and equitable treatment is often subjective. However, an organization can demonstrate equity in the workplace by first recognizing this reality.
At BC Women’s Health Foundation, we want to commit to these three practices with integrity in the following ways:
1. Foster a safe space for diverse staff voices to be respected, heard, and acknowledged.
2. Honour, value and support diverse and culturally inherent ways of knowing, learning and inquiry.
3. Prioritize value-building (and maintaining) respectful relationships among ourselves, stakeholders, and the community regardless of workload and project deadlines.
4. Acknowledge the emotional tax on IBPoC (and other diverse individuals) who are tokenized, relied upon or sought out as an “ambassador of diversity” in the workplace.
5. Promote excellence in our workplace by elevating IBPoC staff contributions and achievements.
6. Strive to understand the impact of unconscious bias, colonization, white supremacy, power and privilege.
7. Set strict policy boundaries related to microaggressions, oppressive language, and behaviour.
8. Ensure we offer and require staff to engage in learning opportunities centred on EDI.
9. Engage with our reconciliation commitments.
10. Prioritize wage equity through transparency, dialogue and fairness.
Why is this important?
Because EDI allows for engagement, reflection and useful dialogue that can interrupt groupthink, static incumbencies and ensure better decision-making.
Because visibility at the highest levels helps staff feel like they can have a successful future at BCWHF and helps them feel like their needs are being taken into account.
Because EDI commitments reinforce the creation of workplace systems that empower all.
Because EDI promotes accountability to a wide range of stakeholders inside and outside the organization, from funders, government, researchers, donors, and a conscious public.
Because equity, diversity and inclusion gives us hope.
