The 'EDI' Formula

Equity = (Diversity + Inclusion)

In a national environment where progressing equity, diversity and inclusion has become surrounded by turbulence, noise and influencers. This can create more challenges in the pursuit of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive organisations, industries, sectors and society. In this article, we explore the use of an ‘E=D+I’ formula, exploring what equity, diversity and inclusion mean, and how can we work towards meaningful outcomes in the current national and increasingly global context.

 Equity as mechanism

The notion and mainstreaming of equity is a mechanism which requires systems to recognise that different people have different needs, resources and opportunities. It is the role of equity to enable those who are uniquely marginalised to be enabled and empowered to make decisions. This can create challenges in creating equity in complex organisations.

Mechanisms in social and organisational change and development can be defined as the critical tool to enabling and leveraging change. Referring to social change and action literature, mechanisms are made up of multiple components, processes and structures within a specific context that elicit outcomes and impact. These complexities reflect the challenges of cultivating and delivering equity in an organisational context.

 Diversity and inclusion as outcomes

Most individuals involved in leading diversity and inclusion work in an organisation, can be expected to ‘hit the ground running’, and expected to deliver ‘quick wins’. The challenge here is that, recruiting an ‘EDI’ professional and expert into an organisation does not immediately solve the diversity and inclusion challenges that exist in your organisation, however you have created an opportunity and part of a mechanism to achieve a more diverse and inclusive organisation. It’s important to note here that most organisations are not truly diverse and inclusive, and in this formula they are treated as outcomes.

 Intersectionality as context

No formula can work without building awareness of the context. Whilst organisations face issues and challenges pertaining to diversity and inclusion, for example, racism, ableism, homophobia, aggressions, discrimination, it is the differential structures that can perpetuate or tackle these issues that people face. If we look at the issue of racism, we know that racism manifests itself in different ways in different organisations and structures. If one person experiences racism as a staff member in a university, or racism as a staff in a law firm, the experience and outcomes are shaped by the structures those individuals work in. Intersectionality helps us tackle this issue by ensuring that our equity actions, plans and interventions are centering the voices of the most marginalised and deprived, whilst being cognizant of the structures in which the action or intervention is required. It ensures that all voices are enabled so that minoritised groups do not fall through the gaps in complex organisations.

 Does the formula work?

We are all working towards achieving equity, diversity and inclusion in our organisations and society, whilst the ‘E=D+I’ formula provides our direction of travel for organisations and society, there is a great deal of consideration to reconsider the intersectional context in which this formula can be implemented and delivered in organisations. The wider forces and noise where this work is situated can influence the way in which this formula can work as an approach to integrating equity, diversity and inclusion.