Diversity and Inclusion in CSR

Why is it that even in industries dominated by women employees, men rise to the top of the most prestigious and influential organizations? One answer is career escalators. “Career escalators” points to the practices, structures and norms that move a person upward in their careers. However, as research by many, including Prof. Christine Williams shows in her research, “glass elevators” are hidden advantages for men to advance in women-dominated fields. As Cathleen Clerkin, PhD reveals, a broad look at nonprofit workers reveals a slight advantage for men in leadership. Women represent about 70% of employees yet only 62% of leaders. The real gap, however, shows up when you look at size of the non-profit, as measured by revenues. Men nonprofit CEOs oversee nearly twice the revenues as women (~$11M vs. ~$6M). And men CEOs earn on average +27% more than women CEOs. Having worked with many nonprofit boards on their hiring practices, bias is a concern in recruiting CEOs and board directors. Preference for the “think leader, think male” can give an implicit advantage to White men, resulting in disadvantages or de-accelerators for women and BIPOC men. Often those concerns are expressed in donor networks, strategic thinking, vision and public persona -- all of which are important and yet the evaluation of who can do them can be fraught with biases. What can you do? The author suggests many important strategies. ✔ Check for biased language and treatment in the hiring process.  ✔ Track demographic data.  ✔ Be transparent about pay.  ✔ Create clear career matrices.  ✔ Have explicit conversations about career goals.  ✔ Sponsor women and give them challenging opportunities. When we make these often invisible accelerators visible--and work towards creating clear, equitable and transparent access to them--we can come closer to achieving our intention of creating remarkable and inclusive organizations.  Research by Candid. Article published in Harvard Business Review.

Snapshot of gender equality across the SDGs. 🔎 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intrinsically linked to gender equality beyond the explicit targets set by Goal 5. It is critical for governments and companies to adopt a gender lens in addressing the SDGs, recognizing that gender disparities intersect with broader developmental challenges. This approach is not only a matter of social justice but also an economic imperative, with clear evidence that gender equality can drive sustainable growth and benefit society as a whole. A data-centric review of the current status of gender equality within the framework of the SDGs reveals the following: ▪ Poverty: Predictions show that over 340 million women and girls will be in extreme poverty by 2030 if trends persist. To achieve the SDG's 'No Poverty' target, the pace of progress must be accelerated 26 times faster than the current rate. ▪ Hunger: Food insecurity threatens to affect one in four women and girls by 2030. Closing gender gaps in agrifood systems could potentially boost global GDP by $1 trillion. ▪ Health: Maternal mortality rates declined by a third globally between 2000 and 2020 but have not improved since 2015, indicating a need for focused health interventions. ▪ Economic Empowerment: An investment of an additional $360 billion per year is estimated to be necessary for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment, which are vital for ending poverty and hunger. ▪ Education: Disparities persist in educational attainment, with 60% of girls versus 57% of boys completing upper secondary education, suggesting that parity in education has not yet translated into universality. ▪ Labor and Employment: The workforce participation gap is notable, with a significant disparity in earnings where women make 51 cents for every dollar that men earn. ▪ Political Representation: Despite progress, women are still underrepresented in political and managerial roles, which impacts decision-making processes and policy development. ▪ Urban Development: Without inclusive urban planning, it is estimated that 1.05 billion women and girls could be living in inadequate housing conditions by 2050. ▪ Climate Impact: Climate change is poised to disproportionately affect women and girls, with millions at risk of poverty and increased food insecurity. The data underscores the necessity for integrated strategies that address gender disparities as part of the broader sustainable development agenda. The advancement of gender equality is not only a standalone goal but also a catalyst for achieving all SDGs. Source: THE GENDER SNAPSHOT 2023 (UN) #sdgs #sdgs2030 #sustainability #sustainable #gender #genderequality #sustainabledevelopment #climatechange #genderequity

On Friday, I had a fruitful visit to Ahold Delhaize and its Climate Hub. That hub serves as an online platform where supermarket suppliers, including small suppliers of breakfast cereals and soap products, can learn how to tackle their carbon emissions and team up to navigate the process of addressing and reporting them. Companies are not always keen on reporting requirements and yet reporting on emissions is essential to measure the climate problem. It’s important to be transparent about your impact on planet and environment. But reporting should not be done in a way that is overly complicated for business, especially SMEs, in their operations. We need to hear and understand what SMEs as the ones taking part in the Climate Hub need. During the visit, CEO Frans Muller and representatives from Ahold Delhaize suppliers explained how the supply chains work together on sustainability reporting and how they, by trial-and-error, come to the most practical and effective solutions. In July, President Ursula von der Leyen presented her Political Guidelines for the next Commission. She expects each Commissioner to find new ways to engage with stakeholders on reducing administrative burden and simplifying implementation. We must strive to better reflect market realities on the ground and do this before shaping and implementing our rules. So today, we agreed to testcase the expected new way of cooperating in implementation. Ahold Delhaize will share the best practices from their Climate Hub. Easier and simpler implementation for SMEs are the shared objectives - all whilst keeping the climate ambition. EU staff will be available for dialogue and exchanges. The Commission will give feedback how the lessons contributed to its initiatives on burden reduction - including the voluntary SME sustainability reporting standards planned for publication in 2025. This is a good initiative to support suppliers in their journey to reduce emissions. We invite more SMEs to participate in this Hub that is relevant for our supermarkets and our essential food supply chain. Other companies in other sectors are also invited to see if we can scale up this new rule-making approach. We need fresh ways to implement our rules: not just top-down, but more bottom-up from practices on the ground, so that our joint journey to reduce emissions also generates prosperity and growth.

Efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss in the Amazon and beyond increasingly recognize the crucial role Indigenous peoples play. Their territories experience significantly lower deforestation rates compared to non-Indigenous areas, often outperforming even protected zones. However, despite the clear benefits of involving Indigenous communities in environmental protection, their participation in decision-making processes remains limited, often tokenistic. Emil Sirén Gualinga recently published a briefing (https://lnkd.in/gV6T2pU5) that outlines the path from symbolic gestures to full and effective inclusion of Indigenous peoples in biodiversity policy, particularly under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The framework, adopted in 2022, aims to stop biodiversity loss by 2030, emphasizing the need for all stakeholders—including Indigenous groups—to be involved in planning and execution. Indigenous rights, such as those detailed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), affirm their entitlement to participation and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). However, there are challenges: 🤝 Complex decision-making processes: Indigenous governance structures are varied, ranging from local to national institutions. External actors must engage appropriately with these diverse entities, respecting the decision-making bodies’ mandates and avoiding the exclusion of key representatives. 🌳 Indigenous priorities overlooked: Often, projects intended to benefit Indigenous communities are designed without their input. This can lead to conflicts with their "Life Plans"—locally developed frameworks outlining social, cultural, and territorial priorities. 🚧 Barriers to inclusion: Women and youth, though integral to many Indigenous decision-making systems, are frequently left out of formal processes. Addressing this requires logistical support, such as overcoming language and technological barriers. 💲 Underfunding: Efforts to involve Indigenous communities meaningfully are further hampered by underfunding. Less than 1% of biodiversity and climate financing reaches Indigenous peoples, and when it does, it rarely involves them in decision-making. The note emphasizes that all actors—governments, NGOs, and the private sector—should shift from seeing Indigenous communities as stakeholders to recognizing them as rights holders. Their participation is not merely a formal requirement but essential for achieving biodiversity conservation goals. In short, meaningful, informed, and inclusive Indigenous participation is vital to the success of global biodiversity efforts, requiring more than token representation, aruges Gualinga. 👉 From Tokenism to Full and Effective Participation of Indigenous Peoples in Decision-Making to Halt and Reverse Biodiversity Loss (PDF): https://mongabay.cc/4UkbBj 📹 Javier Gualinga of the Sani Isla Kichwa community, Ecuador

Contrary to popular belief… Diverse SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity & expression) have existed across cultures for centuries. Indigenous cultures globally recognized and respected this diversity long before colonization. Though “trans”, a Latin prefix which means across, over, beyond, or on the other side of, has been the term we used today in the English language to describe any gender other than the binary(cis), there are many words in other cultures that describe or capture the essence in language. E.g in Bugis society in Indonesia, there are 5 gender categories and the ones considered trans are calabai, calalai and bissu. What’s actually new is…homophobia and transphobia. 💡Homophobia and transphobia are tools of colonial oppression rooted in the imposition of gender hierarchy and sexual norms. They needed patriarchy to be a thing. 💡They waged it under the banner of ‘civilization’ and ‘morality’, criminalized and stigmatized indigenous practices that did not conform to their norms, erasing rich traditions and forcing conformity to heteronormative standards —a deliberate strategy to undermine and subjugate people. This continues to shape laws, attitudes, and societal norms worldwide. #LGBTQ+ folks still face discrimination, violence, and legal persecution based on these imposed colonial standards. In the U.S. we’re tracking 500+ anti-LGBTQ legislations introduced in Congress! Recognizing this history compels us to challenge and dismantle these oppressive legacies. This is not just about allyship… It is decolonizing our minds, ways of being and restoring dignity to those who’ve been stolen from. P.S. Don’t be like Candace Owens — someone who’s committed to their ignorance. PPS Abrahamic religion and books are not accurate representation of historical events across the globe. Please don’t use it as a basis for your bigotry.

“If she’s left out of the data, she’s left out of the solution.” This isn’t just a slogan—it’s the hard truth many organizations overlook. When women’s experiences, contributions, and challenges are not captured in data, strategic decisions are built on partial truths. We cannot address what we don’t measure. I remember working with an organization during a DEI audit where gender representation looked fairly balanced on the surface. But when we dug deeper, the data told a different story: • Leadership roles were overwhelmingly male-dominated. • Performance reviews showed a bias in language—men were described as “ambitious,” women as “cautious.” • Promotions for women plateaued at mid-management, despite equivalent performance metrics. The solution wasn’t more policies or more workshops—it was more data. Data that captured not just headcounts but lived experiences. Data that told the story of pay equity, growth opportunities, and workplace culture. When women are left out of these metrics, they’re left out of the growth, the opportunities, and the solutions that move organizations forward. If you’re serious about equity, start with the numbers. Measure what matters. Because if she’s not in the data, she won’t be in the boardroom either. #diversity #equity #inclusion

Today, a fantastic report "Invisible Women" is published by Impatience Earth, highlighting how climate change disproportionately impacts women in the UK, especially women of colour. This is due to their disproportionate role as carers and heads of single-parent households, lower pay, greater vulnerability to job and funding cuts, and lack of representation in decision-making. Women are also far more likely to be leading effective grassroots initiatives with meaningful climate resilience and adaptation benefits for their communities, yet they are not represented in climate policy decision-making, are ineffectively consulted, and attract less funding from philanthropy. "Single parent mothers, disabled girls and migrant women simply don’t have the microphone when it comes to planning our climate response in the UK." "Time and again, it is invisible women who are leading the grassroots work of building resilience within their communities. It’s now time to fund them." The report is aimed at philanthropic funders and grant-makers, policy-makers and those with influence over climate funding strategies, and anyone who wants to understand the ways that climate change impacts women and marginalised groups in the UK. It was authored by the fabulous Hannah Dillon alongside Yasmin Ahammad, Areeba Hasan, and Sarah Farrell. And I was honoured to have contributed along with Mohammed Afridi, Amber Amoo-Gottfried, Naomi Chapman, Jon Cracknell, Anki Deo, Cliff Fleming, Sarah Fullick, Tatiana Garavito, Sofie Jenkinson, Marcus MacDonald, Misbah Malik, Jess Mally, Bianca Pitt, Olamide Raheem, Daniel Seifu, Martha Dillon, and Jo Williams. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/etQ_-EZ8

Climate Week is here, and there's one key takeaway for me: inclusion in climate action. The disability community is often overlooked in discussions about climate change, but the reality is staggering: ➳ People with disabilities are 4 to 5 times more likely to die during natural disasters (World Bank). This needs to change. At Green Disability, we’re pushing to raise awareness and foster collaboration to create more inclusive climate policies—because true sustainability isn’t just about the environment, it’s about equity. Here’s my advice to those in the climate space: 🌱 Inclusion is non-negotiable: We need to listen to marginalized voices, especially those most affected by climate change. 🌱 Action through collaboration: Work with diverse stakeholders—especially disability rights organizations—to create solutions that work for everyone. 🌱 Policy matters: Advocate for strategies that prioritize accessibility and empower all communities to thrive in the face of climate challenges. Together, we can. 🌍 #GreenerTogether #ClimateAction #DisabilityRights #Intersectionality #GreenDisability LinkedIn Social Impact LinkedIn's Economic Graph ID: The image shows a profile of Puneet Singh Singhal with a verified checkmark: GREEN Disability: "Accessibility and sustainability are two sides of the same coin—without Disability Justice, Climate Justice remains incomplete."

SMEs, the bar for transparency is rising—and if you are off the hook you may risk lower credit rating. Danish FSA propose to make climate-risk mandatory compliance for Banks! .. Denmark is not the only country acknowledging that climate change poses a risk to financial established systems. The EU is also raising the bar for corporate transparency and risk coverage. While SMEs are not directly subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the pressure is growing to provide structured ESG data. This time is it not private sector push, but a financial sector push. Public sector will follow. The Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) recently proposed the inclusion of climate risk scenarios into credit valuations by banks. The implication is clear: SMEs must now address and disclose climate-related risks to maintain creditworthiness and financial credibility. This marks the beginning of capital preservation initiatives from financial institutions. Go ensure that the comprehensive module is covered by your corporate reports! To help SMEs respond effectively, the European Commission introduced the Voluntary SME Standard (VSME)—a proportional, relevant, and practical sustainability reporting framework designed specifically for SMEs. VSME recognizes the resource constraints of smaller enterprises and provides a structured approach to sustainability aligned with EU reporting logic. It offers a common language between SMEs and shareholders, empowering businesses to demonstrate credibility, build resilience, and strengthen relationships across the value chain. The VSME is also ensuring that the SME is covering their risks and that their business partners are informed. If you’re a small business aiming to strengthen stakeholder trust, meet non-financial risk expectations, and future-proof your operations, the VSME is your roadmap (or at least youe way to begin the sustainability journey on the corporate level. I see this as more than compliance. It’s a roadmap to resilience, risk coverage, business partner dialouge and strategic insights for CapEx planning and investments: a. Start with clear data collection b. Understand why your data matters c. Link ESG to your business strategy d. Set goals, track progress, and show impact Start today. Your peers may end up getting a better credit valuation and hence, lower cost for loans.......

We talk a lot about how brands can connect to women. But here’s where I think the conversation goes wrong: Women are not one group of like-minded consumers. The category of “women” comprises 4 billion people with different preferences, professions, purchasing habits, and personal lives. So how can brands connect with women? Authenticity. I'm talking about the kind of authenticity that comes from truly understanding, representing, and serving the people your brand reaches. Why does this matter? Let's look at the numbers first:  • Women are overseeing $32 trillion in spending globally.  • By 2028, 75% of discretionary spending will be controlled by women. These aren't just statistics—they're a wake-up call for brands trying to connect with women. Brands historically miss the mark when they focus on women as "consumers," rather than as people. Take Dove's work with the CROWN Act, a movement and legislation aimed at prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. By bringing attention to how women of color—particularly Black women—have historically been told how to wear their hair at work, Dove drove meaningful change that extended far beyond marketing. The result for Dove (and its parent company Unilever) hasn't just been products sold, but actual legislative change—all because they stood for something that impacts the day-to-day life of their consumers. The key to the consumer paradigm: You cannot effectively serve women if you don't represent them at every level of your organization. Women continue to hold relatively few leadership positions in industries primarily serving women. The fashion and beauty industries, for example, are dominated by male leadership. When brands get it right, it shows. A few examples? FERRAGAMO appointed a female CEO back in 1960—long before it was trending—and that commitment to women in leadership has been woven into their DNA ever since. It’s not a campaign. It’s who they are. Or formula company Bobbie, which doesn’t just have consumers, they have devoted brand ambassadors, families, and loyal subscribers. True representation isn't about optics—it's about women making decisions at all levels—from product development to marketing to the C-suite. Maybe we need to retire the word "consumer" altogether. Because if we're talking about real, authentic connections, shouldn't we instead be focusing on people as human beings. It's no longer about thinking what you “should” create to get them to buy—it's about genuinely making that woman’s life better because you know exactly who she is. And your company’s leadership reflects that.