By Karyn Twaronite*
New UN data reveals that more than 40% of people around the world still believe—according to various biases and stereotypes—that men are better business executives than women which reflects the roots of macho thinking in various parts of the planet. However, beyond the gender gap, income inequality is growing in most countries, which has a differentiated impact on population segments considered to be groups that have historically been discriminated against or in a condition of vulnerability. According to the World Economic Forum, the richest 10% of the world population takes home 52% of the income, a phenomenon that is seen with greater emphasis in some developing countries.
Latin America and the Caribbean have promoted a series of progressive efforts around the recognition of the rights of various population groups and the implementation of policies and programs that seek to combat inequality and structural discrimination. There are regional initiatives that promote the full recognition of human rights in the region.
However, we still have significant challenges regarding the inclusion of various population groups, including the LGBTIQ+ community, and the full recognition of their human rights. For example, equal marriage is a pending issue in many countries in the region, as it is only fully recognized in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Uruguay; while other forms of legal unions take place in Bolivia; but there is still a lack of recognition in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Until 2016, being LGBTI+ was criminalized in Belize and, to date, Jamaica and Guyana, among other countries, still criminalize —to some extent— being LGBTI+.
These are just examples of the disparities that exist in our current society regarding the full recognition of human rights. In this sense, the social groups in which we find ourselves can mean advantages or disadvantages —in many occasions undeserved— that are deeply rooted in terms of access to resources, opportunities and privileges, in addition to the gaps in the way in which we are perceived and evaluated.
The fact that inequality is growing for more than 70% of the world’s population It is a reality that should matter to all of us. Inequalities exacerbate the risks of divisions and limit our economic and social development.
These are far-reaching and quite complex structural and systemic problems, but combating them in the world of work can be an effective way to close the gaps. Specifically, organizations can work to better support and engage employees by focusing on the equity component of their diversity, equity and inclusion agenda. This includes examining how they lead, what cultures they create, how they assign and value work, reviewing their policies and processes, and how they evaluate performance and make decisions. In some cases, the organizations even carry out public advocacy work to guarantee the human rights of various groups.
Raising the commitment to social equity enables an organization to do a better job of ensuring that each person has access to the opportunities and resources they uniquely need to develop, considering their different starting points. Here are five actions all organizations can take to influence more equitable outcomes:
- Build guardrails for equity. The idea behind equity guardrails is to disrupt points where inequalities are likely to replay. This could be as simple as ensuring key decision-making groups include a wide range of perspectives for processes like promotions and hiring. When we challenge the influence of biases, personal tendencies, and the way we’ve always done things, we can focus on essential criteria, removing barriers and improving the objectivity and rationality of our decisions.
- Making learning available to all. An easy way to do this is by offering e-learning or educational tools through different means to all ranks within an organization. Learning about social inequalities and the lived experiences of staff is an effective way to raise awareness, empathy and encourage inclusive behaviour, to help people understand internal and external dynamics at work and to develop a shared common language and leading practice to create a sense of belonging for all people.
- Share authentic stories. Research shows that stories (storytelling) are an effective way to build connections, awareness, and understanding, and are remembered up to 22 times longer than narrated or simply stated facts. That’s why fostering authenticity and storytelling in the workplace can highlight different experiences to spark insights, deeper conversations, and inspire more learning and action.
- Establish commitment from leadership. Many organizations are establishing Influencer Councils led by people who hold the position of CEO or General Management and the executive team. These may include Global or Regional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committees, as well as working groups with representatives from multiple functions and geographies of the organization, with the goal of developing specific recommendations for embedding equitable processes and systems throughout the organization.
- Track progress. This allows organizations to see what is working and where the bottlenecks lie. These efforts may include collecting employee feedback (via pulse surveys; eg, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups), as well as compiling metrics into a DE&I scorecard to improve accountability. . Results can be reviewed monthly to ensure continuous and compounding progress.
Social equity is about removing barriers, building more inclusive environments, and enabling equal opportunity access to resources with an intersectional approach so that everyone can prosper; however, it can be difficult to know where to start. For organizations, recognizing the structural disadvantages and stereotypes that are associated with different groups and ensuring that they are not reinforced or replicated in the workplace is a great first step. The path to greater equity is one of continuous progress, learning, and necessary conversations: it is a path that all organizations can commit to, taking one action at a time.
*Karyn Twaronite, EY Global Vice Chair – Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness
Editor’s Note: This text belongs to our Opinion section and reflects only the author’s vision, not necessarily the High Level point of view.
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