Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is vital for every organisation. It underpins effective people management and helps foster environments where individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.
EDI is also an essential element of inclusive professional practice to better serve our wider communities and fulfil current and future challenges.
The definitions below can be adapted by organisations to align with their unique context.
EDI: we use this acronym for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Equality: Equality is the state of being equal, where everyone is treated the same and given the same resources or opportunities, regardless of their individual circumstances. It assumes that everyone starts from the same place and therefore should receive the same treatment.
While equality may be a primary goal of EDI work, equity is the means to achieve it. Individuals may encounter systemic barriers to accessing equal opportunities. Equity refers to the judicious process of considering unique and evolving needs, intersecting identities and experiences of historically marginalised groups – and the practical implementation of initiatives that aim to drive equality.
Equity: Equity refers to the concept of fairness and justice in treating individuals or groups. It recognises that people start from different places and may need different resources or opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Instead of giving everyone the same treatment (which is equality), equity focuses on providing specific support based on individual needs to ensure fair opportunities for all. An example of this is supporting neurodivergent professional review candidates by providing reasonable adjustments.
Diversity: Diversity is the presence of differences within a given setting, encompassing various characteristics and experiences. Diversity is recognising, respecting and celebrating differences and fosters a greater culture of creativity, innovation and inclusive professional practice as we represent the communities we serve.
Inclusion: Inclusion is the practice of creating and sustaining environments in which all individuals or groups feel respected, valued, and supported. It goes beyond simply having diverse individuals present to ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and participate fully, without fear of discrimination or exclusion. Inclusion benefits everyone.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality refers to the ways in which different elements of a person’s identity and experiences can interact to form cumulative forms of marginalisation and exclusion, or privilege.
