Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) serve as the foundation for meaningful action in the social sector. However, DEI is understood differently by different people and organisations. For instance, gender inclusion is often seen as having more cisgender women in the workplace, which is critical, particularly for sectors traditionally dominated by cisgender men. But at the same time, if we were to reimagine gender as a spectrum, how could this conversation expand?

Do conversations about DEI involve acknowledging the privileges and marginalisations that we all experience because of our diverse identities? For example, a CEO who identifies as gay may have positional power because of the former identity but also face marginalisation because of the latter. Do we talk about how these multiple identities and their intersections play out in the workspace and affect what we do as well as how we respond?

These are some of the questions we grappled with at Ummeed Child Development Center as we set out on our DEI journey. Ummeed was founded in 2001 with the vision of helping children with and at risk of developmental disabilities. Over the years, we have provided direct clinical services to children and families and conducted training programmes for professionals such as doctors, therapists, teachers, and community workers.

1. Keeping the organisational piece in focus
Although the Apni Shala team was certain that fostering personal journeys would lead to an organisational overhaul, some people were uncertain about the time this would take. The Apni Shala team acknowledged their concerns, provided reassurance, and offered the space in every session to talk about what that day’s discussion might mean for Ummeed as an organisation. This helped present a clear connection between the personal transformation work being conducted and the needs of the organisation.

2. Convincing the naysayers
While most of the Ummeed team—especially those in the cohort—were onboard for the journey, there were a few who expressed surprise at the time being dedicated to these sessions and questioned what this would ultimately amount to. This was understandable given that the outcome of the work felt intangible: how does one measure and report personal transformation?

3. Funding the exercise
Making a deliberate effort to develop strong DEI practices within the organisation is not a cost-free endeavour. Given that donors generally focus on external work and are rarely willing to fund internal capacity building, only a few long-term funders supported this initiative; the rest was covered using Ummeed’s savings. We hope that DEI is seen as an important stepping stone for building resilient organisations by funders and is considered either for standalone support or as part of programmatic funding.

4. Bringing marginalisations to the fore
The deep dives made participants more aware of their personal experiences in relation to identity and marginalisation and contributed to a growing need for internal mental health support. We had to consider, therefore, how to effectively support individuals who were navigating these transformative personal journeys. Further, there were cases where a team member’s manager was not a part of the deep-dive cohort. So, when the team member would take back their learnings to the manager, the latter was not always receptive or encouraging. The conversation about how to properly handle such challenging situations is still ongoing.

Read the full article about DEI culture in organizations by Anita Limaye and Regina Khurana at India Development Review.