This month’s theme is all about the positive, practical outcomes when in-company networks/employee resource groups work together.

Unpacking ‘Intersectionality’

We all have different personalities, abilities and backgrounds. None of us should be defined by just one aspect of our lives.

‘Intersectionality’ is a term we’ve heard a lot over the last couple of years. It was first coined back in 1989 by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to explain the interconnected nature of characteristics like race, class, disability or gender and how they combine to create specific forms of discrimination or privilege. Check out this video of Professor Cranshaw explaining the theory behind the term and its origins as a way of describing discrimination experienced by African American women. 

In the world of Diversity & Inclusion, people are often put into groups – LGBTQ+, gender, race, religion etc and employee networks and resource groups are often built up around these groups. 

We get the logic. It’s easier to organise people towards a common purpose if there is a clear focus and it provides a safe space that people can feel comfortable in but the danger becomes people see themselves and each other in a siloed way. In reality, each of us is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional human.

‘All of it is a part of what makes me, me’

We loved this session from November 2020 about the intersection of race and disability, led by LaMondre Pough, CEO of Billion Strong and in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation’s Global Business and Disability Network. In his opening address, LaMondre speaks powerfully about his experiences in the workplace as a black man with a disability. 

How does intersectionality apply to disability ERG / networks?

As founder of Valuable 500, Caroline Casey points out in this World Economic Forum article on intersectionality, ‘from disability to race to age inclusivity, none should be tackled in isolation. Inclusion means everyone all the time - not some people some of the time’.

Organising ERG / Networks on the basis of a single characteristic like disability provides a common purpose with a clear focus and a safe space that people can feel comfortable in. 

But is there a risk that when we talk about disability as a defining characteristic, we ignore the more nuanced stories that are the result of other elements of peoples’ identity. For example, the unique experience that comes with being say disabled and male, or a person of colour, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community… or all of those things.

Ask yourself some big questions

To address these challenges, we invite disability ERG / network leaders to ask themselves some big questions about their network. For example:

• Does your disability ERG / network’s ‘core team’ of decision makers and ‘doers’ and the wider membership reflect the diversity of your organisation or are some ‘groups’ underrepresented or even absent? 
• Findings from our Great Global Impact Report 2020-2021 indicate that Story-telling campaigns are one of the most used methods for driving change. Does your ERG / Network tell the stories of employees with disabilities from all backgrounds? 
• How can you work collaboratively with networks in your company that represent other ‘characteristics’ such as gender, race or sexual orientation?

To help get started, why not dive back into our briefing In-company networks/resource groups working together. The briefing includes best practice guidance and examples from PurpleSpace members like PWC’s DAWN network which has collaborated with its LGBTQ, Military and Multicultural networks on topics such as sharing personal information and the impact of mental ill health in different cultures.

Learning and development opportunities in August

• Learn directly from PWC as their disability and gender networks share how they work together for our ‘Spotlight On’ series.
• Join our one of our Peer Learning Group Sessions on building inclusive disability networks and resource groups taking place on 5th August at 11am BST, 18th August at 11am BST and 25th August at 3pm BST.

And finally…

As members of the PurpleSpace community you are helping to build a better working world for employees with disabilities around the globe. By collaborating effectively with colleagues from all ERGs / Networks you can have an even greater impact by enabling employers to change culture by learning directly from all of their people.