International Women’s Day, observed annually March 8, is a day to honor the achievements of women. Dr. Jessica Elmore, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB/DEIB) training at CASE, marks the occasion and shares an article from the not-for-profit sector which insists that now is the time to press for a gender-equal world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
It features interviews with Reid Gunter, co-founder of Mix Haus, a not-for-profit group that aims to educate, train, and support trans and nonbinary women in the hospitality industry, and Korra Ivy, a youth peer leader at (in)Visible The Drum, a program that connects queer and trans people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds (QTPOC).
They share their thoughts on how to create change that leads to inclusivity:
What should people ask themselves in order to be more inclusive?
Reid: "Too often people don’t take the time to see trans women as equal or deserving of opportunities as cisgendered women. It’s time to change that. This International Women’s Day, ask yourself, ‘Do I believe that transgender women should be included in celebrations around women?’, ‘What can I do to include transgender women in days like these in our calendar year?’"
Korra: "Reflecting on my own experience with gender and sexual diversity and as a QTIPoC Peer Youth Leader, the most impactful conversations around gender in our communities are around decolonising a tightly bound heterosexual stereotype of what it means to be a woman. Curate your social newsfeed to include the voices of incredible Blak, Indigenous, disabled, fat Queer women—consume the content we produce, uplift our voices and art."
How can we help LGBTQI+ Folk feel accepted, included and appreciated?
Reid: "We cannot continually celebrate International Women’s Day without implementing positive change to include transgender folk—we have been having this conversation for far too long, it’s time to act on it and support the transgender community. … Reach out to your trans friends or family, do some research, and listen to what the transgender community has to say."
Korra: "We need access to funding to run our organisations, programs, and events. We need the broader community to engage and share our stories and lived experiences. We need community members to work on their perceptions of what it means to be a woman and stop policing how we show up in spaces."
International Women’s Day often focuses on cis women. How would you like to see people break the bias?
Reid: "Putting people in a box and categorising their gender identity by presuming their pronouns is old school and needs to stop. The negative bias against queer women, their gender identity, and importance of pronouns needs to be broken."
Korra: "Different gender identities have existed many years before the gender binary we have now. Gender binary and gender roles are a colonial construct that was enforced upon many Indigenous cultures who had their own worldviews around gender and sexuality. It's culturally responsive to not only embrace other cultures and worldviews around gender but to lean into a positive duty by creating a space that shares funds, pay and shares our stories."
“In advancement, creating opportunities to include, encourage, and develop talented individuals from all backgrounds is of paramount importance," Dr. Elmore said. "CASE leadership in DEIB will set the standard for understanding and advancing the inclusion agenda in schools, colleges, and universities worldwide Our DEIB work and acumen is woven into all of our activities."
See the links below for related resources from CASE to make your institution as inclusive as possible.
