Diversity is about what makes each of us unique and includes our backgrounds, personality, life experiences and beliefs, all of the things that make us who we are. It is a combination of our differences that shape our view of the world, our perspective and our approach[1]. Diversity is also about recognising, respecting and valuing differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, race, religion, disability and sexual orientation. It also includes an infinite range of individual unique characteristics and experiences, such as communication style, career path, life experience, educational background, geographic location, income level, marital status, parental status and other variables that influence personal perspectives[2].
Inclusion occurs when people feel, and are, valued and respected. Regardless of their personal characteristic or circumstance, and where they:
- have the opportunity to fulfil their individual and combined potential
- have access to opportunities and resources
- can contribute their personal best in every encounter
- can contribute their perspectives and talents to improve their organisation
- can bring far more of themselves to their jobs
- have a sense of belonging.
Equal opportunity means that every person can participate freely and equally in areas of public life such as in the workplace, in education, or in accessing goods and services without disadvantage or less favourable treatment due to their unique attributes. Everyone in the workplace has rights and responsibilities under equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation to prevent discrimination, harassment, vilification or victimisation[3].
Equal opportunity is an integral part of the employment life cycle applicable to recruitment, retention, performance management, promotion, talent identification, succession planning, remuneration, professional development and end of employment.
Intersectionality refers to a way of seeing people's experiences as shaped by (but not limited to) their race, socio-economic background, sex, gender, and sexuality all at the same time. This overlap or combination of differences makes up a person’s unique identity. Identities within an individual may come, go or converge, depending on time or place (for example life stages). The point of understanding intersectionality is to also understand the variety of privileges and/or forms of discrimination or exclusion that one may experience simultaneously at any given time (for example gender and race together).
[1] Only skin deep? Re-examining the business case for diversity, Deloitte 2011
[2] Chubb Insurance Group company case study - approach to diversity 2018
[3] Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Updated