30 Jul 2021

Diversity Lens - Issue 87

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Jul 30

Diversity Lens - Issue 87

Welcome to Diversity Lens.
Diversifying your news consumption.

Have you got Olympics fever? Despite the misgivings most of us had about the games going ahead in the Covid climate, it's difficult to not get sucked in at this point.

There are great conversations being had within and outside the sports this year; from Simone Biles prioritising her mental health over competing, to queer and female representation reaching an all time high.

Whatever your position may be on the Olympics, there is a lot to celebrate this year other than medals. Check out our story of the week on the inspirational Brit, Dina Asher-Smith.

CHANGEMAKER OF THE WEEK

"Tokyo Olympics: Dina Asher-Smith opens up on body image & tackling racism in sport" BBC Sports

GB sprinter, Dina Asher-Smith is at the peak of her game and has a Tokyo Olympic gold well within her sight. In Dina: Racing for More however, we look beyond her incredible athleticism as she sits down with good friend and DJ Clara Amfo.

"Young, muscular Black women [...] loads of people go, is this a man?"

They talk about her passions outside sport which include Caribbean culture, make up and fashion. Dina recently became a Vogue cover model and the way she was pictured, highlighting the muscle and athleticism of her body, was important to her - changing the narrative around muscular women.

Dina feels strongly about using her platform to speak out against injustices and refuses to just 'entertain' in sport without commenting on the bigger issues that affect her experience day to day as a Black woman in 2021.

Forward

IN OTHER NEWS...

‘Ineffective’ and racially disproportionate blanket stop and search powers to be expanded
As part of the government's new 'Beating Crime Plan', controversial stop and search powers are to be expanded. Police are now able to search people without any suspicion in high crime areas, a policy that was initially rolled out as a pilot, now made permanent. An evaluation of the pilot scheme has not been published however, a huge oversight considering the troubling context it operates within.Read time: 3.5 minute

"Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped than white people."

Budapest Pride defies Hungary’s “Propaganda” law with its largest march in history

Over the weekend we saw the largest march in Budapest Pride’s 26-year history. The historic event comes in the midst of an attack on LGBTQIA+ rights in the country with recent measures including bans on same-sex adoptions, legal gender marker changes, and depictions of queer people in all forms of media. Despite the EU Commission stepping in to sue Hungary for infringing on equal rights, there is a lot to protest right now.
Read time: 2.5 minute

UK doubles number of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in prominent roles Since 2017, this number has more than doubled. Notable positions include Liverpool's first directly elected Black female mayor, and the current chancellor of the exchequer. However, there are sectors that remain notably "stagnant", such as the police, the supreme court and major security services. Campaigners argue that these are the key institutions wherein more diversity could to lead to fundamental social change.
Read time: 2.5 minute

THIS WEEK IN D&I...

Most Influential Women in UK Tech: The 2021 longlist
We were delighted to see our co-founder and CEO Cynthia Davis on Computer Weekly's longlist for the most influential women in tech. Congratulations to all who were recognised!

"With our diversity focussed career jobs platform Diversifying.io, we strive to harness the power of technology to create more inclusive, authentic & equitable career opportunities for all .

It’s brilliant to be recognised for our work as part of an exceptional and diverse longlist of inspirational tech female leaders.”

Cynthia Davis, Co-founder of Diversifying.io and Founder of BAME Recruitment

MPs launch inquiry into lack of support for menopausal women at work

Menopause discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010 – but is enough being done to support employees? This parliamentary enquiry will look at current legislation and workplace practices to assess effectiveness in preventing discrimination.
In a recent CIPD survey, 3 out of 5 menopausal employees reported a negative impact at work.Read time: 4 minutes