09 Jul 2021

Diversity Lens - Issue 84

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Jul 9

Diversity Lens - Issue 84

Welcome to Diversity Lens.
Diversifying your news consumption.

Whether you've succumbed to football fever over the past weeks or not, there's a lot to be interested in this year besides the game itself.

Support for England manager Gareth Southgate is only increasing; a manager who stands out among the rest as kind and considered - a fact that some choose to resent in him. Southgate defended our players taking the knee when our Prime Minister refused to do so.

Those with unwavering support for the English team should keep in mind that the team would not exist in its current form without the incredible contribution of immigrants and their families in the UK, as demonstrated by the below graphic by @MigrationUK.

OUR STORY OF THE WEEK

BBC Sports: "Can British tennis shake off unwanted tag of being 'too white, male and posh'?"

The BBC published this article in which they posed the question, can British tennis shake off unwanted tag of being “too white, male and posh”?

Miles Daley is a 28-year-old Black tennis coach from Hackney. When he steps out on the court, it's with Jordan trainers, Beats headphones and a NBA vest on. While you might think this is out of place for a tennis court, this is an intentional form of activism for Daley who wants to challenge perceptions of the sport.

Homogeneity is rife in tennis, beginning from the lowest school level and sustained up to elite play. Daley recounts how he was encouraged to try other sports as a child instead of tennis, and even today he still experiences microagressions for existing in the heavily white-dominated scene.

There is also far than equal gender representation in the sport, particularly in coaching; Iya, an Indian women in Edinburgh, says "when people talk about technical things and strategies they look at the man".

"Tennis is an elitist sport. The majority of people involved are white and the majority are white men."

Forward

IN OTHER NEWS...

All UK hairdressers to learn to cut and style Afro hair as standard

Haircare has long been an "accepted form of segregation" - a norm finally being challenged. All new hairdressers will now have mandated training on Afro and textured hair, with an additional focus in general on inclusive service offerings. A long overdue change which we hope to see more of in the beauty industry.Read time: 3 minute

"Our aim is to amplify and celebrate the voices of all the communities the industry serves to ensure each and every one of us feels seen"

Love, Victor is maturing into a better, messier version of itself

Love, Victor is a refreshing coming of age drama that normalises the idea that one can be openly gay and go through the turbulent journey of adolescence in the same way as hetero peers.

Now in its second season, Love, Victor moves away from "colouring inside the lines" - advancing from the archetypal 'coming out' story and accompanying Victor merely living as a gay teen.Read time: 6 minutes

French parliament votes to extend IVF rights to lesbians and single women

Lesbian couples and single women are finally legally allowed to access IVF treatment in France. Previously, only heterosexual couples were granted this right. The new bill under President Macron's government was backed by 326 MPs, making France the 11th country in the EU to accommodate the reproductive rights of same-sex couples.Read time: 1 minute

THIS WEEK IN D&I...

Mind’s anti-racist stance means it ‘will probably lose people and that’s ok’, CEO says

Chief Executive at Mind, Paul Farmer, says they expect to lose "staff, supporters, and donors” through their renewed anti-racism stance. Farmer points out the clear relationship between mental health and racial inequality and the urgent need to address this. Part of their strategy in the coming years is to be "open and honest about both successes and failures, so that we can all learn from each other" - we applaud this transparency. Read time: 2 minutes

Spotlight on the advantages of age and a multi-generational workforce

Age is an integral part of a D&I agenda, and one with many evident benefits. Statistics show that older workers improve retention, motivation, and decision making yet they are often overlooked in recruitment drives. A diverse team in terms of gender and ethnicity out-performs financially by 35% but when age is added in, this rises dramatically to 87%.Read time: 1 minutes

‘Four-day week’ trials transform Icelandic employment

Large scale trials in Iceland reducing working hours have been called an "overwhelming success". Over a number of years and a broad range of occupations, the success has transformed the Icelandic working landscape with 86% of the working population now either permanently working shorter hours or having gained the right to do so. Productivity in the trials either remained the same or increased, while wellbeing predictably improved.Read time: 2 minutes

EVENTS UPCOMING...

Mind – New Strategy and Recruitment, Drop in Session

Want to work for leading mental health charity Mind? Interested in a career in Policy, Campaigns, or Public Affairs? Join our webinar on MONDAY (12th) to get more insight into current vacancies, and ensure your application is top notch. Stay anonymous (if you wish) by changing your Zoom name!
Save your spot.

Letter To My Little Queer Self

You are invited to the book launch of Letter To My Little Queer Self - a diverse collection of letters from 29 contributors. This event on July 16th is hosted by LTMLQS foreword writer Krishna Istha, who will be joined by letter writer contributors reading excerpts from their stories.

The event is free and welcome to all.

Call for Contributions - Pride in Education 4

The Global Virtual Pride in Education Conference will be back for the 4th time on 22, 23 and 24 of October 2021. The event will feature keynotes, a fun quiz, panel discussions and workshops. We invite you to submit a proposal for contribution - deadline for submission July 25th 5pm GMT.