Around the world, protesters have gathered in solidarity with the US Black Lives Matter movement as they demand an end to systemic racism. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to aggravate pre-existing structural and social inequalities, how can leaders join communities in effecting change at this historical turning point?

What's the World Economic Forum doing about diversity, equity and inclusion?

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social and political unrest have created a profound sense of urgency for companies to actively work to tackle racial injustice and inequality. In response, the Forum's Platform for Shaping the Future of the New Economy and Society has established a high-level community of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers. The community will develop a vision, strategies and tools to proactively embed equity into the post-pandemic recovery and shape long-term inclusive change in our economies and societies.

As businesses emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, they have a unique opportunity to ensure that equity, inclusion and justice define the "new normal" and tackle exclusion, bias and discrimination related to race, gender, ability, sexual orientation and all other forms of human diversity. It is increasingly clear that new workplace technologies and practices can be leveraged to significantly improve diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes.

The World Economic Forum has developed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit, to outline the practical opportunities that this new technology represents for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, while describing the challenges that come with it.

The toolkit explores how technology can help reduce bias from recruitment processes, diversify talent pools and benchmark diversity and inclusion across organisations. The toolkit also cites research that suggests well-managed diverse teams significantly outperform homogenous ones over time, across profitability, innovation, decision-making and employee engagement.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit is available here.

The Forum will host a virtual session on this topic on July 1, 2020 at 15:30 CET.

Tune in to hear from our speakers:

  • Thando Hopa, Diversity Advocate and International Model, Thando Hopa Media, South Africa
  • Lysa John Berna, Secretary-General, Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, South Africa
  • Cheryl L. Dorsey, President, Echoing Green, USA
  • Judith Williams, Head, People Sustainability; Senior Vice-President; Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, SAP, USA

Moderated by:

  • Isabelle Kumar, Journalist and Presenter, Euronews, France

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