Making Global DEI Locally Relevant
When working the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion field, it’s easy to fall into the trap of egocentrism. By this I mean that we may assume that the challenges and barriers we face in our society (in my case, the UK) play out in a similar way are equally prevalent in other countries and societies. The main principles are universal: promoting fairness of opportunity, educating to reduce and remove bias and discrimination, and supporting employees with unique challenges they may face due to their lived experiences. But, the complexity comes in when these principles are overlaid with cultural norms, traditions, history and religious beliefs.
Why is it complex?
I recently spoke to Christian Hug who is the Vice President of LifeWorks & Inclusion at Discovery, the company behind the popular Discovery Channel, on Avenir’s ‘Why Care? podcast. We talked about their global DEI strategy and how they make these global considerations locally relevant to all their regional offices across the world.
Christian explains that different countries and regions across the world have their own unique DEI challenges that must be considered in order for initiatives to be effective and impactful. He explains that in the UK social class is more of a prominent discussion than in many other countries, and colourism in India is more of an issue than elsewhere, with discrimination based on skin tone.
There are also considerations that must be made surrounding the legality of certain discussions. Christian gives the example that many countries still have laws that make the discussion and promotion of LGBTQ+ issues illegal, but as a multi-national company Discovery still wants to support and celebrate Pride month and support queer employees no matter where they live. In Discovery they have adapted conversations to comply with laws, or hosted events in a country without such laws but available to all offices worldwide to listen to.
These are examples of the challenges of a global DEI strategy for multi-national organisations, but also the tweaks that must be made to make any DEI strategy effective and locally relevant. After all, if your messages do not resonate with employees in their home country then they are less likely to be able to apply the learning.
Some examples from across the globe.
Classism in the UK
Classism is discrimination based on ones’ social class, most often directed against working classes, and is fuelled by stereotypes of the working class being less cultured, educated and intelligent. The UK is often referred to as having an ‘entrenched class system’, meaning that the class structure has remained robust here compared to many of our neighbours. This has led to the DEI focus on social mobility and significant efforts to create opportunities for those from less affluent backgrounds. SEO London is a great example of this – listen to ‘Why Care?’ Season 1, Episode 10 with Andrew Fairbairn to hear more!
Colourism in India
Colourism is discrimination based on people’s skin tone even within communities of the same race or ethnicity. This differs from racism as it is solely about skin tone. India is a large country with many regions which have their own languages, culture, and ethnicities. Indians with darker skin tones face discrimination centred around their appearance that many Indians with lighter skin tones are not subjected to. Colonial rule by the British empire certainly subjected Indians to racism that likely contributed to colourism, but it is uncertain if colourism in India is a relatively recent development. This journal article captures the nuances far better than I can in this brief paragraph.
Two-Spirit
Our final example demonstrates nicely how the same concept can have a different framing depending on where you are in the world. Two-Spirit is an umbrella term referring to identities held by many transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming Native Americans. Whilst transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people exist worldwide, the Two-Spirit identity is unique as it contextualises these gender identities within Native American spirituality and tradition. In many Native American cultures, Two-Spirit people are revered and held as sacred. This short video explains the concept in further detail.
This demonstrates how concepts and identities, like trans and non-binary identities, can hold different meanings in different areas of the world. Two-Spirit may not be relevant to European DEI conversations around gender identity, but absolutely should be present in American ones.
How can these examples inform my practice?
Hopefully these examples will have got you thinking about considerations unique to your country with regards to diversity and inclusion. Its important to adapt existing DEI material and strategies if they’re going to be used in another region or country. It is vital to make DEI as relevant as possible to the people you are educating and trying to influence. At Avenir we offer bespoke inclusion programmes to help you create a DEI strategy that is tailor-made to your organisation, identifying the different stories and cross-cultural challenges based on your organisational context.
For more on this topic, watch Episode 12 of our ‘Why Care?’ podcast - Making Global D&I Locally Relevant with Christian Hug - that inspired this article, available here or by searching ‘Why care?’ on all major podcast streaming services.
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