The Diversity Recommitment

Itis time for companies to, once again, pledge allegiance to DEI initiatives. Those that do, have a chance to lead the way.

- REETA RAMAN

Two months ago, Shivya Nath posted a rant on LinkedIn, expressing her disillusionment with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement. After spending a decade building her credentials as a travel writer and sustainability consultant, she was still repeatedly hearing prospective clients approach her, saying:

“I’ve been looking for you. Not you exactly, but someone like you, who’s a woman, preferably of colour. We’d love to have you speak at our event since we really want diverse voices and perspectives on our panel; we want to include international voices in the story, so I thought of reaching out to you.”

As a freelancer, Shivya, who currently resides in India, was grateful for the opportunities that came her way. Yet, “… to be told that I’m being invited to contribute, speak, or participate only because I count as (part of ) ‘diversity’, and not so much because of my expertise or credibility, is belittling and frustrating,” she told me recently over a voice call.

THE ILLUSION OF INCLUSION

Verna Myers, a leading diversity and inclusion expert who exited Netflix last September after spearheading the streaming giant’s inclusion and diversity initiatives over the past five years, famously said: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. In Shivya’s case, companies were eager to reach out to her to ensure diversity, almost akin to a tick-box exercise, but “…is my voice actually being valued?” she wondered.