01 May 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 24

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

May 1

Diversity Lens - Issue 24

Diversity Lens

Welcome to Diversity Lens, the newsletter from BAME Recruitment and Diversifying.io! We’re pleased to be bringing you all the latest news and opinions about recruitment and the world of diversity and inclusion. We hope you are all keeping safe and adhering to social distancing guidelines in this turbulent time.

Latest News

Where are women's voices in the coronavirus crisis?
The lack of diversity in decision making positions of society has long been a problem. Men are overwhelmingly in charge of the key decisions surrounding the coronavirus response, not only failing on representation levels but also displaying key blind spots in their policy making when it comes to women and children, displayed clearly by the lack of guidance surrounding abortions during the pandemic and the slow response to domestic violence spikes. "One reason sex quotas have to be substantial [...] is to ensure that female success in male-dominated institutions is not reserved for those willing to imitate stereotypical maleness", the article states. Gender diversity is key to informed and fair decision making and this is only exacerbated amidst a pandemic. Click the photo for full story.

Sadiq Khan exclusively opens up about his mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak
In a significant move that helps to normalise discourse on mental health, Sadiq Khan has spoken out about managing his own in this trying time. The lockdown has had huge effects on our mental health across the UK with anxiety levels reported to have increased. Khan isn't shying away from this impact; he has launched the #LondonTogether campaign in order to lift community spirit and spread hope and happiness. Khan specifically references the LGBTQ+ community who may be suffering disproportionately in this lockdown, separated from safe spaces and support communities. "Mental health is as important as physical health", the London Mayor reinforces. Whilst acknowledging his own privileged position at this time, he shares how he is actively looking after his mental health and trying to keep positive.

Click Here to read the full interview.

Chris Mosier: US' first transgender international athlete
In 2016, Chris Mosier became the first transgender athlete to represent the United States in international competition when he took part in the Duathlon World Championships. This year, he became the first athlete to compete in an Olympic trial who identified by a different sex than assigned at birth. Before his transition in 2010, Mosier competed in the triathlon as a female athlete. “I delayed my transition by a year and a half because I was terrified that I would lose sport”, Mosier tells the BBC. Previously, legislation stated that athletes must have had gender reassignment surgery, as well as two years of hormone therapy and legal recognition of their assigned gender, before competing. However, Mosier campaigned successfully to have this changed. He is still determined to change the negative perceptions of trans athletes. Click the picture for more on his story.

The queer female and non-binary photographers redefining the fashion image
Fashion photography has notoriously overlooked queer female and non-binary representation. Fashion imagery is everywhere, in magazines, on billboards, and what or who the image shows can have a powerful effect on the viewer. Therefore, diverse representation is crucial, yet it often falls short with overwhelmingly heteronormative photoshoots. Click the photo below and take a look at 7 female queer photographers to watch who are disrupting the industry and pushing for wider representation. Photography by Naima Green.

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

Gay aerospace engineer wins £175,000 payout after his ‘worst nightmares’ about coming out at work came true
An engineer has recently won his tribunal case after suffering harassment and discrimination at work. He came out as gay at work in 2018 and began making inquiries into adoption leave as he and his husband were looking to start a family. "That's when everything changed", he explains. The company used his plans for parenthood against him, unwilling to support him as they might a heterosexual employee; he was passed over for promotions and received homophobic abuse once his sexuality had become well-known. Alan left the company and pursued legal action which affirmed his mistreatment. Read the full story via the photo below.

3 Ways to Make Businesses More Welcoming to Women
Gender-diverse companies are more successful companies. Thus, it is undoubtedly in an organisation's best interest to attract female professionals and create supportive environments. The policies this article highlights to foster diverse workplaces include: flexible working hours; equal maternity benefits; and shattering the glass ceiling. Women need to be better represented in leadership and board positions. The lack of female professionals in these senior positions reveals the limitations of growth for women within organisations. In order for more women to be able to advance their careers, outdated workplace practices need to be re-examined in order to offer true equal opportunities. Click the photo to learn more.

Story of the Week

This startup is tackling the hidden mental health impacts of cancerFabian Bolin, an investment banker turned actor, was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 28 and was given a 60-70% chance of recovery. He was perplexed about how to go on with his day-to-day life. He turned to social media for help and his Facebook post received an overwhelming response, many identifying with the mental impact of a cancer diagnosis. Bolin wanted to replicate this experience of sharing and identification on his Facebook post on a global level. In 2016, Bolin and his friend Sebastian Hermelin launched the social network app War on Cancer to provide a safe space for patients, survivors, family and friends to share stories and find like-minded people.

Hermelin explained that the app could go further than providing emotional support: “The industry has a really big problem with getting their hands on patient-reported data”. War on Cancer is building tools to allow patients to share this information — how they’re feeling, how they’re responding to treatment — with researchers, and then keeping the respondents up-to-date about the research results. Bolin and Hermelin are also working on a feature of the app that can pair patients suitable for clinical trials from all over the world. Click the photo for full article.

Featured Video
Angeline Bosha, Zimbabwe’s first ever female jet fighter, shares her experience. Click the photo below to watch her tell her story.

"Being a wife, being a mother, should not stop us as women ... to deliver what is expected of us at work."

Inspirational Person of the Week

Chella Man
Chella Man is American YouTuber, actor, model, artist, and LGBTQ+ activist of Jewish and Chinese descent. He is vocal about his experience as transgender, as a deaf person, and as a Jewish person of colour via his YouTube videos. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Man explained: "There is an extreme lack of representation for young, deaf, queer, Jewish, Asian, transgender artists...So, I decided to be my own representation." In 2018, Man presented his TedX Talk entitled "Becoming Him" in which he talks about his transition journey and gender issues for LGBTQ+ youth and people with disabilities. He has also modelled for high-profile brands such as Calvin Klein, furthering his mission for representation. In his next career step, he recently made history as the first trans masculine actor cast in a DC superhero series with his role as Jericho in the upcoming Titans.