In recent news, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), North America’s largest HR association, and the equivalent to the CIPD in the UK, has made the decision to remove 'equity' from their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) acronym. This removal has sparked a significant amount of concern and debate within the DEI community. SHRM have said: “By emphasising Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarisation.”

Why equity matters

Equity is essential to achieving true diversity and inclusion. It ensures that everyone has access to the same opportunities, tailored to their individual circumstances, leading to fair outcomes. While diversity focuses on representation and inclusion ensures everyone feels valued and respected, equity addresses the disparities that exist within the workplace and society. Removing equity from the equation or absorbing it into ‘inclusion’ risks undermining efforts to create genuinely inclusive work environments where everyone has the necessary tools to thrive through effective equity.

Understanding the controversy

The backlash surrounding SHRM’s decision to shift to I&D (Inclusion & Diversity) while stating, "our commitment to advancing Equity remains steadfast. Equity will be integrated under the broader Inclusion framework, continuing to be a priority in our strategy and leadership decisions," highlights a critical misunderstanding: equity is not just a buzzword or something that can be reprioritised depending on the prevailing societal or political attitudes.

Some critics have argued that this approach diminishes the critical role of equity. Leading with equity is essential because, without achieving equity within organisations, true diversity cannot be achieved at all levels of the workplace. Additionally, inclusion risks being superficial and ineffective if it doesn't extend beyond mere token gestures.

Equity is about recognising and addressing the different needs, challenges, and barriers that individuals face. By ensuring equitable practices, we move beyond equality. It’s an important distinction to make between treating everyone the same (equality) and appreciating specific circumstances and context to reach an equal outcome (equity).

Sometimes, people claim to be "colour-blind" or insist that they “just treat everyone the same”. This ignores the reality that different groups have different experiences and face different challenges. Similarly, you might hear statements like "I don't see gender" or "Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day." These perspectives fail to acknowledge the systemic obstacles, bias and societal privileges that exist. This approach can downplay the privilege that certain groups have, and others don’t, which is precisely why equity is necessary. It’s not about giving people unfair advantages or support or taking away from one group to give to another, but about removing the discriminatory barriers to success and levelling the playing field.

Our approach to D&I
For context and transparency, at Diversifying Group we use the term diversity and inclusion, or ‘D&I’ acronym, to encompass diversity, inclusion, equity, equality, belonging and justice. This is something we explain to our clients, and this works for us currently, but we’ll continue to review the terminology we use to ensure it remains appropriate and effective. To us, all these principles are interconnected and essential for creating fair and inclusive workplaces.

When it comes to acronyms - whether it’s DEI, DEIB, EDI, I&D, D&I, JEDI or another variation - what really matters is the work being done. The focus shouldn’t be on the letters themselves but on the actions and outcomes they represent. Sure, if equity is being removed or diluted as a principal, then that’s a problem. But as long as our efforts are inclusive and working towards removing barriers for everyone, we’re on the right path. We must be careful not to get distracted by a debate on acronyms, or waste energy and lose focus of what’s important: the meaningful work of cultivating diversity, ensuring equity, and promoting inclusion.

Moving forward

The decision by SHRM to remove equity from their acronym serves as a reminder of the importance of firstly, understanding what equity is, and then integrating it into D&I efforts.

This change appears to be influenced partly by societal backlash and the increasing polarisation around DEI topics. However, we mustn’t allow ourselves to be bullied or swayed by public opinion, especially in the face of far-right emergence. We need to continually educate ourselves and others about the importance of correcting systemic inequalities and removing obstacles that hinder the success of underrepresented groups.

As DEI speaker, strategist, and consultant Lily Zheng expertly says:

“Achieving equity at scale within an organisation requires that we remove discriminatory barriers to success, build processes and practices that are fair for all, and design policies that meet a wide range of differing needs.”

By maintaining our commitment to equity, we can create environments where everyone has the opportunity to succeed, and where diversity and inclusion are genuinely meaningful. Our work needs to focus on tangible actions and outcomes that drive progress, create cultures of belonging, and build workplaces where people’s life circumstances and backgrounds do not predetermine their success or failure.

Written by Oliver Gilbody