In the fall of 2023, the Advancing Equity for Women and Girls team, in collaboration with SEASONOVA, facilitated a series of impactful training sessions titled “DEIA in Action: Towards an Equitable and Inclusive Workforce.” In this blog, we’ll delve into the key strategies that employers can incorporate to support immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force.
Why Embed DEIA into the Organization?
The business case for DEIA has been established numerous times, and the data points to the following: increasing diversity in the workplace gives organizations a competitive advantage and supports innovation and creativity. However, for organizations to benefit from bringing diverse individuals into their workforce, they have to go beyond numbers.
To truly unlock the benefits of a diverse workforce, organizations must embed DEIA into their policies, practices, and overall culture, thereby reducing barriers and creating an environment where immigrant and racialized women can thrive.
Organizational DEIA Assessment: A Vital Step
During the training sessions, participants were guided through how to kickstart their DEIA journey by doing an Organizational DEIA Assessment. This self-assessment tool serves as a catalyst for ongoing DEIA dialogues within organizations. It also offers valuable insights into the current workplace culture, existing initiatives, and workforce composition, allowing organizations to pinpoint areas for improvement to achieve meaningful organizational change.
Some of the questions an Organizational DEIA Assessment can include are:
- What is the current state of your organization’s openness and attitudes towards DEIA, including its workplace culture?
- What DEIA-related initiatives or infrastructures exist in your organization?
- What is the current workforce composition, including representation levels from employment equity and diversity groups?
DEIA Action Plan: Translating Commitments into Action
Participants, equipped with insights for the assessment, embarked on the development of their own DEIA Action Plan. A DEIA Action Plan outlines the organization’s commitments to DEIA in practical terms, including:
- Strategic commitment statements and goals,
- Tangible actions and tasks,
- Numeric targets, and
- Resources, including human and financial resources
While developing and implementing a DEIA Action Plan can be challenging, support is available. To guide employers through this process, we’ve developed a toolkit titled “Paving the Way,” offering a comprehensive guide on strategies and considerations for supporting immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force.
Learn More with the “Paving the Way” Toolkit
For a deeper dive into strategies supporting immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force, access our toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Guide.”
About Advancing Equity for Women and Girls
Funded by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Advancing Equity for Women and Girls supports a feminist response and recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on the employment of immigrant and racialized women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by contributing to systemic change to promote women’s economic prosperity and equality.
Contact Us
For any questions regarding the project, contact us:
- Hodan Mohamed, Project Coordinator: hmohamed@achev.ca
- Mayela Lozano, Community Liaison: mlozano@achev.ca
Read more about our program here: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls – Employment Services
