25 Mar 2022

Diversity Lens - Issue 119

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Mar 25

Diversity Lens - Issue 119

Welcome to Diversity Lens.

This week was Neurodiversity Awareness Week, and we as a team wanted to focus on the lesser-known intersections of Neurodiversity.

Did you know that racial minorities are more likely to be diagnosed with behavioural disorders, before correctly diagnosed with autism? Did you know men are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than women? Check out our infographic here.

PODCAST: Exactly with Florence Given

Ayishat Akanbi joins Florence Given to discuss online social justice culture. Ayishat calls for more empathy and nuance to discuss the many complex topics which we often see condensed into infographics or tweets.

The expectation that we must post about, or comment on, every event or injustice is not only unrealistic, but also reductive in that we aren’t being encouraged to understand these complex topics with the depth they require.

“We’re so suffocated by conformity, that any opinion that is not a slight variation of a social justice slogan is interpreted as problematic, instead of a person who hasn’t crafted their worldview from memes, viral tweets and infographics”. Listen to the podcast episode to find out more.

"Borders bill makes UK ‘one of the most anti-refugee countries in the world’, says Médecins Sans Frontières "The Independent

“The bill will enshrine the UK as one of the most anti-refugee countries in the world, at a time when the devastating impact of war and conflict is absolutely evident.”

An orange heart is the symbol campaigners have adopted in support of refugees as the Nationality and Borders Bill returned to the Houses of Parliament this week.

A rumoured rebellion of Conservative MPs did not come to fruition on Tuesday with just four voting against the government proposal. Médecins Sans Frontières, the international humanitarian organisation have branded it ”shameful”.

At a time when three million Ukrainians are fleeing their country from war, the bill threatens to criminalise them.

Proposals to allow safe routes to join families in the UK have been “ripped out by the Conservatives”.

Médecins Sans Frontières urge that there is still time to reverse the catastrophic plans which would also empower the government to “punish” refugees. Labour’s home secretary lamented the bill, saying, “our country is better than this”.

The legislation will now return to the Lords for peers to examine again, including the contentious clause that will allow asylum seekers to be sent offshore while their applications are processed.

Text: IN OTHER NEWS. Background image shows picture of protestors.

Sadiq Khan walking outside talking with a police officer

In the wake of a 15-year-old black student known as Child Q being subjected to a traumatising strip search, The Voice is fighting to remove police officers from British schools. Lester Holloway, editor of The Voice, likened British schools to those in America, claiming that they are becoming increasingly "militarised". Patrick Vernon OBE, a well-known social commentator, has praised the campaign but proposes looking at more specific incidents to enhance the argument for the ban: "We need to do a review of other schools, other examples, and other experiences from parents", he says.

"Getting police out of our schools is a crucial step to tackling the criminalisation of black young people in our schools."

‘I will not be held prisoner’: the trans women turned back at Ukraine’s borders

Judis, a transgender woman trapped in Ukraine

On February 24, Ukraine prohibited all men 18-60 from leaving the country. Hundreds of transgender women have attempted to cross the border since then, but have been humiliated and forced back, despite often having legal status as women. Judis, a trans woman, has been harassed by Ukrainian border guards who not only questioned her gender identity, but also strip searched and touched her inappropriately. The trans community are in danger, by border guards and the war, but also by the fear of a Russian transphobic regime.

10 things you should know about the government’s new race equality strategy

A new government report has made 74 recommendations on addressing racism in the UK. The “Inclusive Britain” strategy was created in response to the controversial Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED) which concluded “there was no systemic racism”. This new report backs this claim but allows “there is more to do to overcome barriers”. Recommendations include clamping down on online racist abuse and a new framework for reviewing police powers. Big Issue questions the validity and impact of many of these suggestions.

"It is difficult to see how the recommendations detailed here will lead to systemic change, if the Government continues to argue racism is not the cause of inequalities experienced by Britain’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.”

Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation

Body image issues affect close to 40% of men – but many don’t get the support they need

Muscular man from behind looking in a mirror and flexing his muscles

James Brittain-McVey, the guitarist for the Vamps, has battled anorexia since he was a teen. He attributes his decision to have liposuction at the age of 20 to the pressures he felt about his physical image. He revealed he still feels compelled to "look a particular way" when speaking to a parliamentary committee on body image and mental health. Between 30%- 40% of men feel self-conscious about their weight, while up to 85% are unsatisfied with their muscularity. Body image concerns can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health if they are not addressed properly.

Text: ENTER THE WORK SPHERE. Background image shows picture of protestors.

The Inclusive Employer Spotlight: Lloyds Banking Group

Taking up the spotlight this week is Lloyds Banking Group! Lloyds are pushing to break down barriers for under-represented groups by nurturing an inclusive, value-driven environment, and were recently recognised in the OUTstanding Top 100 LGBT+ Allies leaders business list.

Are you ready to be a part of this change? Join them on their mission by visiting their open roles on Diversifying.io.

Job hunting for neurodivergent people: 'AI recruitment means I’ve got zero chance'

Numerous candidates have reported that AI recruiting was employed prior to seeing a real human. Although the technology of pre-recorded interview questions has existed for almost a decade, usage surged significantly during the pandemic. Olly, 24, is autistic and has ADHD. He has been turned down for multiple jobs after doing video interviews. Olly has difficulty maintaining eye contact for extended periods of time and must pause while speaking to concentrate on what he wants to say.

"It’s quite discriminatory against people like me; if the computer sees my eyes moving, it denotes that as someone who's not interested”

We're given a plethora of phrases in today's culture to assist us in comprehending how we're feeling. According to Dr. Gina Simmons-Schneider, "frazzlebrain" is caused by a concealed blend of emotions such as stress, anger, and anxiety. She believes that stress management should be a daily habit for everyone, whether via exercise, meditation, mindfulness, or other calming activities. We risk damaging our health if we don't adopt emotional coping techniques like relaxation, meditation, and stress management.

Diversifying have a timely stress management workshop approaching to help all of us battling frazzle brain. Join us for free?

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25 Mar 2022

Diversity Lens - Issue 119

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Diversity Lens - Issue 119

Welcome to Diversity Lens.

Need support on your D&I journey?

Need support on
your D&I journey?